The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (July 25) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Sanpete County of State of Utah in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned area 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 3,640 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 135.82 million poultry eggs from the US in the first three months of this year.

The CFS has contacted the American authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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.