The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 5) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Uckermark District of the State of Brandenburg in Germany, and an notification from the Swedish Board of Agriculture about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Mönsterås Municipality, Kalmar County in Sweden, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from Uckermark District and Oskarshamn Municipality, which is adjacent to Mönsterås Municipality, 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 3,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.41 million poultry eggs from Germany and about 1,550 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden last year.
"The CFS has contacted the German and Swedish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and 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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