The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 27) that in view of notifications from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Rural Municipality of Whitemouth of Province of Manitoba in Canada and Montrose County of the State of Colorado, Polk County of the State of Wisconsin, Yankton County and Deuel County of the State of South Dakota, Dixon County of the State of Nebraska and Blue Earth County of the State of Minnesota in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 020 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat from Canada and about 260 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 17 090 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 649.21 million poultry eggs from the US last year.

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

Ends/Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:43

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