Russia bans pork import from Mexico, US to check swine Flu
Moscow: As part of urgent steps taken to curb the spread of swine flu in the country, Moscow has imposed ban on the import of Mexican and US pork and ordered strict checks at the airports.
According to the government spokesman Dmitry Peskov, prime minister Vladimir Putin has set up a high-level commission to prevent the lethal swine flu from entering Russia, in the wake of its rapid spread in Mexico and southern US states.
First deputy prime minister Viktor Zubkov has been appointed as the head of the commission, which also includes chief State sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko, agro-watchdog chief Sergei Dankvert and the top officials of the foreign ministry, border guards and health services.
"We have blocked import of raw pork from Columbia to California, Florida and other southern US states. Import of all animal products has been suspended from Mexico, Texas, California and Kansas," chief veterinary inspector Nikolai Vlasov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.
Moscow: As part of urgent steps taken to curb the spread of swine flu in the country, Moscow has imposed ban on the import of Mexican and US pork and ordered strict checks at the airports.
According to the government spokesman Dmitry Peskov, prime minister Vladimir Putin has set up a high-level commission to prevent the lethal swine flu from entering Russia, in the wake of its rapid spread in Mexico and southern US states.
First deputy prime minister Viktor Zubkov has been appointed as the head of the commission, which also includes chief State sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko, agro-watchdog chief Sergei Dankvert and the top officials of the foreign ministry, border guards and health services.
"We have blocked import of raw pork from Columbia to California, Florida and other southern US states. Import of all animal products has been suspended from Mexico, Texas, California and Kansas," chief veterinary inspector Nikolai Vlasov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.