The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 19) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Yeongju-si of Gyeongsangbuk-Do Province in Korea and in Märkisch-Oderland District of the State of Brandenburg in Germany, and a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Zielonogórski District of Lubuskie Region in Poland, 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 1,190 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 11.15 million poultry eggs from Korea, about 3,900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.41 million poultry eggs from Germany and about 13,500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.
"The CFS has contacted the Korean, German and Polish 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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