The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 15) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in Hoa Binh Province, Ha Nam Province, Nam Dinh Province and Tuyen Quang Province in Vietnam, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend 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 has currently established a protocol with Vietnam for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 975 000 poultry eggs from Vietnam last year.

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

Ends/Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Issued at HKT 15:29

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