The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 16) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Eure Department in France, the District of Harz of the State of Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany, the Province of Perugia of Umbria Region in Italy and the Nowy Tomyśl District of Wielkopolskie Region in Poland, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Bolivar Partido of the Province of Buenos Aires in Argentina, 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 1 050 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 290 000 poultry eggs from France; about 180 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany; about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 10 000 poultry eggs from Italy; about 2 890 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; and about 2 080 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Argentina last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the French, German, Italian, Polish and Argentinian 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/Monday, March 16, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:30

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