The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 18) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza in the Union County and the Anson County of the State of North Carolina 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 areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 690 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, 257 970 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 642 million poultry eggs from the US last year, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
"The CFS has contacted the US 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.
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