The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 24) that in view of notifications from the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Erewash District of Derbyshire County, as well as the extension of restricted areas to City of Derby of Derbyshire County and Broxtowe District and City of Nottingham of Nottinghamshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), 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 420 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 90 000 poultry eggs from the UK in the first three months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the British 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 outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.