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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 25) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were detected in the provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa and the cities of Can Tho and Vinh Long in Vietnam, the import of salted duck eggs from the seven provinces and cities will be banned with immediate effect for the protection of Hong Kong's public and animal health.
A CFS spokesman said, "The import ban on the same items from provinces of Vietnam which are being affected by avian influenza earlier is still in force.
"We will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreak and the latest situation in Vietnam, and will maintain close contacts with major local egg importers, distributors and supermarkets," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:28
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