The Philippines has imposed a ban on the importation of birds and poultry products from Australia in response to recent outbreaks of bird flu in the country. The ban, which takes effect immediately, includes all types of wild and domestic birds, as well as poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen. Australia was previously the Philippines’ fourth-largest source of chicken meat imports, accounting for 4% of the total volume. The ban comes amid growing concerns about the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which has recently been detected in wild birds and poultry farms in several countries. The virus has been known to infect humans, and a recent study found that it is now able to spread between cattle and humans.