The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 11) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the District of Dillingen an der Donau of the State of Bayern in Germany and the Lubartowski District of Lubelskie Region in Poland, 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 according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 180 tonnes and about 2,140 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany and Poland respectively in the first nine months of last year.

"The CFS has contacted the German and Polish 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.