The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 11) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Belgium, the United States (US) and Canada, 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:

Belgium
(1) Limburg Province

US
State of North Dakota
(2) Ransom County

State of Wisconsin
(3) Racine County
(4) Dunn County

State of Pennsylvania
(5) York County

State of California
(6) Stanislaus County
(7) Monterey County
(8) Del Norte County

State of Nebraska
(9) York County

Canada
Province of Manitoba
(10) Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne
(11) Rural Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton
(12) Rural Municipality of Cartier

Alberta Province
(13) Beaver County
(14) Municipal District of Taber

Saskatchewan Province
(15) Rural Municipality of Britannia No. 502

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 3 kilograms of frozen poultry meat from Belgium, about 7 360 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 201.48 million poultry eggs from the US and about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada in the first six months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Belgian, American and Canadian 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.