Import of poultry meat and products from Rostovskaya Oblast in Russia suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 3) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Rostovskaya Oblast in Russia, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Russia for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 142 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Russia in the first nine months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Russian authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.