The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 6) 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 Germany and Korea, 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:
   
Germany
(1) District of Höxter of the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen
 
Korea
(2) Busan

Chungcheongnam-do Province
(3) Yesan-gun

Jeollabuk-do Province
(4) Namwon-si
 
Gyeongsangnam-do Province
(5) Hadong-gun

Gyeongsangbuk-do Province
(6) Chilgok-gun
(7) Seongju-gun

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 30 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany, and about 10 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 3.5 million poultry eggs from Korea in the first nine months of last year.

"The CFS has contacted the German and Korean 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.