Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has suspended the imports of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the Banka district, Bihar state, India.
The ban was inforced after CFS received a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in this district.
A CFS spokesman said Hong Kong currently has an established protocol with India for import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. In the first nine months of last year, no poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from India.
“The CFS has contacted the Indian authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.
