The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 1) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the District of Wittenberg of the State of Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany and Mercer County and Hudson County of the State of New Jersey in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas, as well as from Bergen County of the State of New Jersey, New York County and Richmond County of the State of New York adjacent to Hudson County, 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 810 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany; and about 79 630 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 19.6 million poultry eggs from the US last year.
"The CFS has contacted the German and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH 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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