The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 3) that in view of notifications from the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H7N6 avian influenza in Waitaki District in New Zealand, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Meeker County of the State of Minnesota, Pinal County of the State of Arizona, Missoula County of the State of Montana and Sacramento County of the State of California in the United States (US) respectively, 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 130 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 830 000 poultry eggs from New Zealand, and about 63 470 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 17.2 million poultry eggs from the US in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the New Zealand and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH 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.