PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – Trinidad and Tobago halted a shipment of feathers from China, citing concerns about bird flu in barring some imports of feathers that traditionally adorn costumes in annual carnival celebrations.

It said there was no indication the feathers were contaminated. Workers fumigated the 20 cartons of feathers at Port-of-Spain’s seaport yesterday, a day after government officials halted the single shipping container holding the feathers along with Chinese textiles.

“It is unlikely that these feathers are contaminated, but we would not like even a slight chance of an outbreak here,” Health Minister John Rahael said.

The shipping container was being held at the port until another vessel could return it to China, officials said.

No cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus have been reported in the Americas, but officials are concerned because it has killed at least 67 people and millions of birds in Asia since 2003 and has spread to birds in some parts of Europe.

Most human cases have been linked to direct physical contact with sick birds. But experts warn that the virus could mutate into a form that is easily passed between people and trigger a global pandemic.

Trinidad’s ban affects feather and poultry imports from countries that have confirmed bird flu outbreaks. Officials banned the import of pet birds earlier this month.

The twin-island country’s annual carnival is one of the most colorful in the Caribbean, with dancers in feather-clad outfits and headpieces parading to the beat of steel drum bands.

The event, held in February, typically draws more than 40,000 tourists.

Most feathers for the handmade costumes traditionally come from abroad, but carnival organisers said they now plan to explore using more local feathers.

“It will be hard on bandleaders, but we are innovative people and we will have to adjust,” said Owen Hinds, president of the carnival bands association.

Experts vary on how much danger the feathers pose. “I think the Trinidadians should be suspicious. I would be. I’d want to know where they came from, how they were cleaned,” said Dr. Richard V. Lee, a professor of medicine at the State University of New York in Buffalo.

“If the feathers are contaminated with bird droppings, then there would be a potential risk,” since H5N1 is thought to survive for a time in excrement, Lee said, adding it would be important to know where in China the feathers came from.

Another expert, Yanzhong Huang of Seton Hall University in New Jersey, said he doubts there is cause for concern.

“I would say this is a little bit overreacting,” said Huang, director of the university’s Center for Global Health Studies.

“I think every country involved is facing a dilemma now: how to maximise protections to people’s health while minimizing disturbances to people’s lives,” Huang said. “The key point is to find a balance between the two.”

Wholesale importer Gregory Aboud declined to give the value of the 20 cartons of feathers that he had sought to bring into the country. “This is a health concern and the government is taking extreme measures to protect the public,” he said. “We do not want to make it an issue of money or blame the government for our loss.”

He said the feathers, from various birds including peacock and ostrich, had been bleached for purification before shipping. Some were dyed while others were white.

The Caribbean nation joins a list of places, including European countries and Sri Lanka, that have banned feather imports from affected areas.

Carnival masquerader Meg Cheeks, 49, said the hometown party wouldn’t be the same without the headpieces sprouting colorful plumes.

“They are a highlight of carnival as it adds a lot of color and movement,” she said.