Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Fraser Valley Regional District of the British Columbia Province, Municipality of Adelaide Metcalfe of Ontario Province and the County of Forty Mile of Alberta Province in Canada, trade of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, has been suspended. The aim of the suspension is to protect public health.

A CFS spokesperson said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada in the first nine months of this year.

​"The CFS has contacted the Canadian authority over the issue 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.