WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States has banned poultry imports from a region of France where the deadly H5N1 birdflu was found in turkeys, officials said on Tuesday.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it imposed a temporary ban on the importation of poultry, live birds and other related products from the French province of Ain, which became effective on Saturday.

    The ban is only for the province of Ain, the Agriculture Department said, adding the move carries more symbolism than practical impact, because the United States does not import poultry from that part of France.

    French authorities announced on Saturday they had detected the H5N1 strain of bird flu at a farm of more than 11,000 turkeys in Ain. The outbreak was the first of this kind at a commercial poultry farm in a European Union member state. Enditem