Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in regions in South Africa, Canada and The Netherlands, the CFS has suspended imports of poultry meat and products (including eggs).

The regions mentioned in the government press release include: 

• Harry Gwala District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province and Sedibeng District Municipality of Gauteng Province in South Africa 
• Rural Municipality of Lumsden No. 189 and Rural Municipality of Redburn No. 130 of Saskatchewan Province 
• Les Jardins-de-Napierville Regional County Municipality of Quebec Province in Canada
• Province of Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands

A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with South Africa for import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. 

According to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat was imported into Hong Kong from South Africa in the first six months of this year. Moreover, Hong Kong imported about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada and about 50 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands in the first six months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the South African, Canadian and Dutch 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 spokesperson said.