UAE bans vegetables from Kerala, animals from South Africa

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned imports of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala after an outbreak of the Nipah virus (NiV) there, the Gulf state's ministry of environment said on Tuesday.

It has also banned imports of live animals from South Africa, based on a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of the registration of Rift Valley Fever disease, the statement said.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Writing by Aziz El aakoubi; Editing by Mark Potter)