The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 14) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Lubartowski District, Bialski District and Biaýÿa Podlaska City of Lubelskie Region, and Tucholski District and ýÿwiecki District of Kujawsko-pomorskie Region in Poland, 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 4 070 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 24.82 million poultry eggs from Poland in the first nine months of last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Polish authority 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/Friday, January 14, 2022
Issued at HKT 14:52

NNNN