The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 8) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Jangheung-gun of Jeollanam-do Province in Korea, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the district with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 190 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 11.15 million poultry eggs from Korea last year.

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

Ends/Thursday, April 8, 2021
Issued at HKT 15:10

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