Import of poultry meat and products from three municipalities in Sweden suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 20) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Municipality of Ystad in Sweden, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the Municipality of Ystad, and the adjacent Municipalities of Tomelilla and Simrishamn with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 1,150 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Sweden in the first nine months of this year, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

     "The CFS has contacted the Swedish 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.