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In view of a confirmed H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in Morin Dawa County of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau tonight (November 21) announced that the Government has suspended the processing of applications for the importation of poultry and poultry meat from the entire Inner Mongolia with immediate effect.
In addition, the spokesman said the Government has also suspended the processing of applications for the importation of poultry meat from the British Columbia of Canada following confirmation by the authorities of a confirmed case of low pathogenic H5 strain in a domestic duck from a poultry farm in British Columbia.
The spokesman added there were only small amounts of frozen poultry imported to Hong Kong from Inner Mongolia and British Columbia.
Ends/Monday, November 21, 2005
Issued at HKT 20:31
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