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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 24) that, in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low-pathogenic H5 avian influenza on a quail farm in Stanislaus County, State of California, the United States, it has banned the import of poultry and poultry products, including poultry eggs, from the county with immediate effect for the protection of Hong Kong's public and animal health.
A CFS spokesman said about 150 000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat, eight tonnes of chilled poultry meat and 600 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from the United States last year.
The CFS has contacted the American authority over the issue and will closely monitor information reported to the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks in the country. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.
Ends/Thursday, April 24, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:33
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