Import of poultry meat and products from areas in France, Germany and South Africa suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 13) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Gironde Department, Haute-Savoie Department, Haut-Rhin Department and Bas-Rhin Department in France and in the District of Oder-Spree of the State of Brandenburg in Germany, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Mafube Local Municipality of Free State Province in South Africa, 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 Hong Kong currently has an established protocol with South Africa for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat was imported from South Africa in the first three months of this year, while about 2,000 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 35,000 poultry eggs were imported from France; and about 180 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 0.53 million poultry eggs were imported from Germany to Hong Kong.

     "The CFS has contacted the French, German and South African authorities over the issue 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.