The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 16) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in the United States (US), and a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in areas in Japan, 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:

US
The State of Colorado
(1) Prowers County, The State of Iowa

(2) Sac County
(3) Cherokee County
(4) Buena Vista County, The State of Minnesota

(5) Wadena County, The State of Missouri

(6) Osage County

Japan
(7) Hiroshima Prefecture
(8) Okinawa Prefecture

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 10,650 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 227.48 million poultry eggs from the US and about 1,260 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 292.13 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the American and Japanese 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.