The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 17) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Patna District of Bihar state in India, and a notification from the United States (US) Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau about outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Fulton County of the State of Kentucky, Fauquier County of the State of Virginia and Dubois County of the State of Indiana in the US, 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 has currently established a protocol with India for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. According to the Census and Statistics Department, no eggs were imported from India last year; and Hong Kong imported about 260 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 17 090 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 649.21 million poultry eggs from the US last year.
"The CFS has contacted the Indian and American 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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