Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced last week that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in regions in Canada and Poland, poultry imports have been suspended. Poultry meat and products, including eggs, have been suspended in order to protect public health in Hong Kong, the authorities said. 

The suspension applies to Drummond Regional County Municipality of Quebec Province and Essex County of Ontario Province in Canada, and Koniński District of Wielkopolskie in Poland.

A CFS spokesperson said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 270 tonnes and about 3,110 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada and Poland respectively last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Canadian and Polish 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 spokesmperson said.