The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 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 Przemyski County of Poland, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that in the first 10 months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 16 400 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 4.8 million poultry eggs from Poland.

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

Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:00

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