Import of poultry meat and products from Xichong County, Nanchong City in Sichuan Province, suspended

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 10) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 sub-type avian influenza in Xichong County, Nanchong City in Sichuan Province, it has followed the existing approach for control of highly pathogenic avian influenza and taken recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health into account to suspend the import of poultry and poultry products, including poultry eggs, from an area within a radius of three kilometres from the said place for a period of 90 days, and from an area within a radius of 13km for 21 days, with immediate effect for the protection of public health in Hong Kong.

     A spokesman for the CFS said that according to information from the General Administration of Customs, the outbreak does not affect any registered Mainland poultry farms that export to Hong Kong. No registered poultry meat or poultry egg processing plants are currently situated within the import restriction zone concerned. 

     The CFS will closely monitor the latest developments of the avian influenza case in the area and take appropriate follow-up action as necessary.