South Korea halts US poultry imports due to bird flu

South Korea has suspended imports of U.S. poultry and poultry products because of an outbreak of bird flu in the United States.

The suspension, from Saturday, comes as South Korea is struggling to contain its own outbreak of bird flu in birds.

"This import suspension is a quarantine measure to prevent the HPAI virus from entering the country," the ministry statement said, referring to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

The ministry said 18 countries including South Korea had been hit by the HPAI virus this year.

Two strains of avian influenza - H5N2 and H5N8 - have been confirmed in wild birds in Washington state, near the U.S. border with Canada.