Russia, Japan Ban British Poultry Imports After Bird Flu Outbreak

Russia and Japan have imposed bans on British poultry products, after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu at a turkey farm in eastern England last week.

The bans were imposed Monday, as British officials moved ahead with the slaughter of about 160,000 turkeys at the farm. They said the slaughter should be completed later today.

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The Netherlands and Norway ordered safety precautions on their own farms to protect poultry from contact with migratory birds, which are thought to spread the disease.

British Environment Secretary David Miliband told parliament today that the public faces only only "negligible" health risks from the outbreak. He called the government's response "rapid, well coordinated and appropriate."

Health experts say it is rare for humans to contract bird flu from infected birds. But they fear the virus could mutate into a form easily spread by humans, triggering a deadly pandemic.

The H5N1 virus has killed at least 165 people since 2003. Indonesia has had the greatest number of fatalities from the virus.