The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 19) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Italy and the United States (US), and highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in areas in Korea, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
          
The relevant areas are as follows:

Italy
Apulia Region
(1) Province of Lecce

US
State of Kansas 
(2) McPherson County
(3) Rice County

Korea
Jeollabuk-do Province
(4) Iksan-si
(5) Wanju-gun
(6) Gimje-si

Chungcheongnam-do Province

(7) Asan-si 

Jeollanam-do Province
(8) Muan-gun 

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 200 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 190,000 poultry eggs from Italy, about 21,470 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 57.11 million poultry eggs from the US, and about 50 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 23.85 million poultry eggs from Korea in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Italian, American and Korean 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.