The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 27) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Province of Ferrara of the Emilia-Romagna Region and Brescia Province of the Lombardy Region in Italy, and Roberts County of the State of South Dakota 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 80 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Italy and about 7,360 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and 201.48 million poultry eggs from the US in the first six months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Italian 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.