The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 14) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Varde Municipality in Denmark, and in Bács-Kiskun County and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in Hungary 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 Hungary for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 630 tonnes and about 270 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Denmark and Hungary respectively in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Danish and Hungarian 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.