Due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in Emsland, Niedersachsen in Germany, Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has suspended imports of poultry meat and eggs from that region to protect the public health of Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 180 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 0.53 million poultry eggs from Germany in the first three months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the German authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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.