Iraq bans import of poultry products from Italy, Missouri

BAGHDAD – Iraq has extended a ban on live and frozen poultry product imports to include Italy and the U.S. state of Missouri due to concerns over bird flu, a government statement said on Monday. Iraq announced a ban on French imports of poultry products in December and extended the ban in January to cover two dozen countries. The nation reported earlier this year its first outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus in 10 years. –Reuters