The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 5) that in view of notifications from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5 and H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Japan and the United States (US) respectively, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     The relevant areas are as follows:

Japan 
(1) Kagoshima Prefecture

US
The State of Wisconsin
(2) Trempealeau County
(3) Douglas County

The State of California
(4) Sonoma County

The State of Arkansas
(5) Carroll County

The State of Minnesota
(6) Otter Tail County
(7) Brown County
(8) Big Stone County
(9) Swift County

The State of Georgia
(10) Sumter County

The State of South Dakota
(11) Yankton County
(12) Brule County
(13) Kingsbury County

The State of North Dakota
(14) Dickey County

The State of Iowa
(15) Sioux County

The State of Maryland
(16) Caroline County

The State of Ohio
(17) Union County

     ​​A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 080 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 200.84 million poultry eggs from Japan, and about 21 470 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 57.11 million poultry eggs from the US in the first nine months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Japanese and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH 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/Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:40

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