The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 23) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

The relevant areas are as follows:

UK
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Norfolk County
(1) King's Lynn & West Norfolk District

US
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State of California
(2) Marin County
(3) San Joaquin County

State of South Dakota
(4) Beadle County
(5) Charles Mix County
(6) Faulk County
(7) Hutchinson County
(8) McPherson County
(9) Moody County
(10) Spink County

State of Iowa
(11) Sioux County
(12) Palo Alto County

State of North Dakota
(13) Bottineau County
(14) McHenry County
(15) Ransom County

State of Tennessee
(16) Gibson County

State of Utah
(17) Piute County
(18) Sanpete County

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 63,470 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 17.2 million poultry eggs from the US, and about 900 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 990,000 poultry eggs from the UK in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the American and British 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.