BEIJING - China says it has banned Canadian poultry because of an outbreak of bird flu in Saskatchewan.

The notice from the Agriculture Ministry says Canadian poultry imports were banned September 30 and any shipments arriving in China will be destroyed or returned.

The move follows similar bans by the United States and Japan.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said last month a strain of bird flu that is not harmful to humans had been confirmed at a large chicken farm in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan avian influenza is not the H5N1 virus that has caused worldwide alarm but officials say the H7N3 virus is a considerable threat to commercial poultry farms