The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 8) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Poland's Poznanski and Olesnicki Districts and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in Myanmar, the CFS has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 20 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 4.8 million poultry eggs from Poland last year. As Hong Kong has not established any protocol with Myanmar for imports of poultry meat and eggs, there is no import of such commodities from Myanmar.

     "The CFS has contacted the Polish and Myanmar authorities over the issues 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.

Ends/Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:12

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