The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 23) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Ostrowski and Moniecki Districts in Poland, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Dong Nai Province in Vietnam and Angul District of Orissa State in India, 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. At present Hong Kong has established protocols with Vietnam and India for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. No poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from these two countries last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Polish, Vietnamese and Indian 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/Thursday, February 23, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:03

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