Import of poultry meat and products from Puri District, Orissa State, India, suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 21) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Puri District, Orissa State of India, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the district with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
      
     A CFS spokesman said Hong Kong currently has an established protocol with India for import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. In the first nine months of this year, no poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from India.
      
     "The CFS has contacted the Indian authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.