The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 14) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Eure Department in France, and a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Iwate Prefecture in Japan, 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 940 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 150,000 poultry eggs from France, and about 1,780 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 413.15 million poultry eggs from Japan last year.

"The CFS has contacted the French 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.