Nepali parliamentary committee for agriculture and co-operatives Friday directed the government to adopt every measure to stop bird flu, now an epidemic in neighboring countries, from entering Nepal.

A meeting of the committee also suggested the government to extend the prohibition on import of poultry from India imposed in Nepal border for some time, Nepal's leading media group's website eKantipur reported.

During the meeting, officials of the Agriculture Ministry informed that the avian influenza has still not entered Nepal. High-level measures have been adopted considering the chance of the epidemic entering the country, they said.

Nepali experts note that bird flu could take a form of epidemic in every 35 years. More than 1,000 people had died due to the deadly disease that spread in 65 countries last time.

The ministry said more than six million could suffer from the disease if bird flu took a form of epidemic in Nepal.

(Agencies via Xinhua February 2, 2008)