Poultry safe, ban should go: U.S.

Poultry safe, ban should go: U.S.

Asian nations that have banned imports of poultry from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania due to fears of avian flu should lift the restrictions as the virus is not harmful to humans, a U.S. trade official said on Friday.

After China joined Japan and the Philippines in imposing the ban, which could damage the image of the multi-million-dollar U.S. poultry trade, the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council said it was holding talks with Asian trade and government officials.

On the cases of "bird flu" in Hong Kong, the Council said it hoped the outbreak would be controlled soon as the government had adopted very strict measures.

"There is no evidence to prove that the low-pathogenic virus found in Pennsylvania can be transmitted to humans. I don't know why these countries have imposed the restrictions," Margaret Say, the Council's regional director for the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) region, told Reuters.

In addition to trade representatives, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have been holding discussions in Manila and Tokyo following the bans. South Korea has tightened quarantine checks and China banned imports from the U.S. state on Thursday.

"In the Philippines, we have urged the government to lift the ban and we are also pushing for the same in Japan," Say said.