The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 24) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Næstved Municipality in Denmark; Lipno District of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region in Poland; Amite County of the State of Mississippi, Haskell County of the State of Kansas and Hart County of the State of Georgia in the United States (US); and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N9 avian influenza in Boryeong-si of Chungcheongnam-do Province in Korea, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas 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 450 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 210 000 poultry eggs from Denmark; about 2 890 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; about 54 830 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 4.33 million poultry eggs from the US; and about 380 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 30.7 million poultry eggs from Korea last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Danish, Polish, American and Korean 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, February 24, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:19

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