POULTRY imports from some countries should be banned to prevent a crisis on the scale of foot-and-mouth, said a county MP.
Bill Wiggin, MP for Leominster, said avian ifluenza has been identified in Italy and has spread via Germany to Holland.
He has called for imports from infected countries to be prohibited.
Avian Influenza, also known as Fowl Plague, is a disease of poultry caused by infection of the influenza virus.
"This is of particular concern to British poultry farmers, since it appears that avian influenza is spreading across Europe to Britain," said Mr Wiggin, who sits on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
"This is potentially another extremely serious issue for British farmers to cope with.
"After the fiasco of foot- and-mouth, and the ongoing situation regarding bovine TB, I can only hope that this government is willing to take some sort of proactive action to ensure that British agriculture is not dealt yet another blow."
The last documented case of avian influenza in this country was in Norfolk in January 1992.
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