The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 21) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Swedish authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N5 avian influenza in the Municipality of Mönsterås in Kalmar County in Sweden, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the Municipality of Mönsterås and the adjacent Municipality of Högsby in Kalmar County and the Municipalities of Svedala and Trelleborg in Skåne County with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of last year, Hong Kong imported about 1,150 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden.
"The CFS has contacted the Swedish authorities over the issue 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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