The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 7) that in view of notifications from the Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Melipilla Province of Santiago Metropolitan Region in Chile and the District of Regensburg of the State of Bayern in Germany respectively, 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 Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Chile for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat was imported into Hong Kong from Chile and no poultry meat or eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Germany in the first three months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Chilean and German 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.