Hong Kong bans import of poultry meat and products from parts of US and Israel

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 13) that in view of a notification from the United States (US) authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in Dixon County in the US state of Nebraska, and a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Hazafon District in Israel, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the two areas concerned with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 267 000 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 530 million poultry eggs from the US last year. However, no poultry meat or poultry eggs were imported from Israel in the same period.

"The CFS has contacted the US and Israeli authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks in the two countries. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

Ends/Wednesday, May 13, 2015