The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 18) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Staszów District of ÅšwiÄ™tokrzyskie Region in Poland, and in North Yorkshire District of North Yorkshire County in the United Kingdom (UK); and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H7N9 avian influenza in Noxubee County of the State of Mississippi 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 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 6 600 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; about 910 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 1.34 million poultry eggs from the UK; 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 Polish, British 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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