MEXICO CITY, May 13 – Ecuador, Honduras, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates have lifted restrictions on Mexican pork imports applied after the outbreak of A(H1N1), Mexico\’s economy ministry said on Tuesday.
Mexico is at the epicenter of the worldwide swine flu outbreak with 58 deaths recorded and 2,224 patients treated.
The epidemic has sparked tensions with some countries which have imposed bans on Mexican pork, cancelled flights to Mexico and/or quarantined Mexicans.
Mexican Economy Minister Gerardo Ruiz Mateos on Tuesday said the four countries would lift their pork bans following messages from Mexico "questioning the consistency of the measures imposed on the import of Mexican products," a statement said.
Mexico would continue to seek a lifting of all other restrictions, it added.
China and Russia are among countries which have suspended pork imports from certain A(H1N1) affected countries.
The World Health Organization and three other major organizations have denounced boycotts of pork made amid fears the meat could be a means of spreading the virus, saying there was no evidence it was a source of infection.
