The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced on December 9 that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Hamlin County of the State of South Dakota and Washington County of the State of Maryland in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the industry 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 10,650 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 227.48 million poultry eggs from the US in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the American authority 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.