The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 21) that in view of notifications from the Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Békés County in Hungary, and Rural Municipality of Huron No. 223, Rural Municipality of Aberdeen No. 373 and Rural Municipality of Rosthern No. 403 of Saskatchewan Province in Canada 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 270 tonnes and about 20 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Hungary and Canada respectively in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Hungarian and Canadian 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.