The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 25) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in Gyeonggi-do Province of Korea, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong. Import bans imposed earlier on poultry meat and products from Jeollanam-do Province and Chungcheongbuk-do Province in the country are still in force.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 2 100 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 1.54 million poultry eggs from Korea in the first nine months of this year.

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

Ends/Friday, November 25, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:29

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