LIMA, Feb. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Peru imposed Sunday a ban on poultry product imports from 14 bird flu-affected countries to protect thecountry from the disease, Peru's animal sanitation quarantine office said.

    The banned imports include chickens, pheasants and their products.

    The 14 affected countries include Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Belgium, Canada and the United States.

    The ban will be imposed on all the affected countries confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and remain in force until the WHO lifts its bans on those countries, the office said.

    Peru has revoked its import sanitation licenses to the affected countries, except those through which poultry products which meetthe quarantine standards are shipped.

    Bird flu has so far claimed 22 lives in the world. Experts in many countries have been striving to find a vaccine to fight the disease. Enditem