Manila, Feb. 11 -- The entry of imported domestic and wild birds, as well as its by-products from the US states of Maryland and Missouri are temporarily banned to prevent the spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday.

The banned poultry products include meat, eggs, day-old chicks, and semen from these areas.

"The quick escalation of bird flu cases in the US since its first detection demands a more extensive coverage of trade restrictions to prevent the entry of the virus," DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

Tiu Laurel earlier said around 145 million chickens have been culled in the US due to HPAI.

At least 13.2 million birds were said to be affected...