Mexico prohibits poultry imports from Arkansas over bird flu outbreak

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexico is banning poultry imports from Arkansas because of a bird flu outbreak.

Mexico's Agriculture Department says poultry meat, fertilized eggs, song birds and messenger pigeons are banned indefinitely.

Avian influenza cases led to the destruction of 15,000 hens in western Arkansas earlier this month. The virus strain was not harmful to humans.

Mexico is a major market for U.S. chicken. The U.S. Agriculture Department says Mexico imported some 221,000 tons of chicken products in 2007.

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