The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 8) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Kraków District of MaÅ‚opolskie Region in Poland, and Loire-Atlantique Department, Maine-et-Loire Department and Deux-Sèvres Department in France, and notifications from the OIE and the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Mid Suffolk District of Suffolk County and North East Lincolnshire of Lincolnshire County, as well as the extension of restricted area to West Lindsey District of Lincolnshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 4 460 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 30.2 million poultry eggs from Poland, about 60 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 4 710 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 240 000 poultry eggs from France, and about 90 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 3 770 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 320 000 poultry eggs from the UK last year.
"The CFS has contacted the Polish, French and British authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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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