BEIJING -- China on Wednesday banned the imports of poultry and poultry products from Germany, the Czech Republic, the State of Virginia of the United States as well as the imports of swine products from the Republic of Georgia.

Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine jointly issued the public notice on Wednesday, saying both direct and indirect imports are prohibited due to local outbreak of animal diseases.

The notice said that recently Germany, the Czech Republic and some areas of the United States were hit by avian influenza and the Republic of Georgia by African swine fever. The ban is aimed at preventing these animal diseases from infecting China, so as to protect China's animal husbandry industry and ensure public health of the Chinese.

China ordered the return or destruction of poultry, pigs, wild boar and related products that had been shipped to China since the outbreak of relevant animal diseases. No poultry, pigs, wild boars and related products from the above countries or areas are allowed to enter the Chinese territory.

If poultry, pigs, wild boars and related products from the disease-hit countries and areas would be found on ships, boats, planes, trains or any other transportation vehicle that pass by or stop over the Chinese territory, they would be destroyed under the supervision of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said the notice.

The nation's quality supervision, inspection and quarantine bodies and animal epidemic prevention organizations at all levels are urged to watch closely at this issue and act in accordance with relevant laws, according to the notice.

Georgia reported that outbreaks began at the end of April in 10regions across the country, and that 20,000 pigs had already been slaughtered. Georgia only has about half a million pigs, according to earlier reports.

The State of Virginia of the United States banned all live poultry sales in July following the discovery of avian flu antibodies in a flock of 54,000 turkeys on a poultry farm.

According to the world animal health organization, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been reported in birds in France, Germany, Bangladesh, and Vietnam this month. Malaysia, the Czech Republic and Togo have also been fighting outbreaks.