Mexican experts have ruled out the possibility of bird flu entering the country as it does not import poultry from the affected areas.

Mexico only buys poultry from the United States and Chile, which are free of the disease, Alvaro Garcia, an expert from the Center for Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the Guadalajara University, told the press Monday.

The avian flu has affected nine Asian countries, killing 19 people, most of them in Vietnam and Thailand. Some 50 million chickens and ducks have also been slaughtered in Asia in an effort to check the disease.

Garcia said sanitary controls are the biggest challenge in poultry production and trade.