The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 26) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza in the Chesterfield County of the State of South Carolina in the United States (US) and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate, Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Sulęciński District of Lubuskie in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the above areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 690 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, 257 970 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 642 million poultry eggs from the US and imported about 17 720 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 34.26 million poultry eggs from Poland last year, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
"The CFS has contacted the US and Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
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