MOSCOW, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has imposed temporary restrictions on poultry imports from the Netherlands because of the bird flu threat, the county's veterinary watchdog said Monday.

"The Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control Service calls attention to the spread of the N7 strain of the bird flu virus in the Netherlands," the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.

"Temporary restrictions on imports of live poultry, eggs, poultry meat and other types of poultry products from Holland to Russia have been imposed," the statement said.

First diagnosed in Asia in 2003, the disease has spread worldwide and claimed dozens of lives. Although no deaths from bird flu have been registered in Russia, figures made public in April indicate that around 1.1 million birds have died of the disease, and that 300,000 have been culled to control the spread of the virus since the beginning of February.

Russia has declared the fight against infectious diseases a priority for its chairmanship of the G-8 this year.