The Director General of Animal Production and Health Department, Dr. Hemali Kotalawala, has informed the State Commercial Miscellaneous Statutory Corporation that since bird flu is being reported from India, the import of eggs cannot be allowed.
She has said that according to the research data presented in the Health Advisory Committee report, no technical approval can be given to import eggs from India.
According to the Health Advisory Committee report, 2,500 bird flu epidemic cases have been reported from Europe from October 2021 to September 2022 and the report further indicates that bird flu epidemic conditions have been reported from India from time to time since 2006.
On 16 October 2022, the bird flu outbreak was reported from Kerala, India and is still active, the report added.
However, the animal development advisors of the same department say that the import of eggs should be allowed considering it as a humanitarian issue.
