The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 29) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5 and H5N1 avian influenza in Bulgaria and Khordha District in Orissa State of India respectively, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the two areas concerned with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that since Hong Kong has not established any protocol with Bulgaria for imports of poultry meat and eggs, there is no import of such commodities from Bulgaria. No poultry meat or poultry eggs were imported from India in the first 10 months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Bulgarian and Indian authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks in the two countries. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

Ends/Thursday, December 29, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:46

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