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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 22) that in view of notifications from the American authority and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Clallam County, Washington State of the United States, and the West Bank, Palestine, respectively, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the two areas concerned with immediate effect for the protection of Hong Kong's public health.
About 250 000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 480 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from the US from January to November last year. However, Hong Kong did not import any poultry meat and poultry eggs from Palestine.
"The CFS has contacted the authorities concerned over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
Ends/Thursday, January 22, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:44
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