The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced on December 22 that in view of notifications from the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Markethill Townland and Coagh Townland in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom (UK), Viborg Municipality in Denmark, and Landes Department in France, 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 70 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 2 970 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 250 000 poultry eggs from the UK; about 1 060 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.85 million poultry eggs from Denmark and about 40 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 3 920 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 240 000 poultry eggs from France in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the British, Danish and French authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.