The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 18) that in view of a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Szamotulski District of Wielkopolskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the district with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
According to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 9,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 21.32 million poultry eggs from Poland.
"The CFS has contacted the Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
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