Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced that poultry exports from regions in the US, Japan and Poland have been suspended due to the presence of avian influenza. CFS issued the suspension in order to protect public health in Hong Kong.

Specifically, CFS suspended poultry exports from Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, the Iławski District of Warmińsko-Mazurskie Region and Brzeski District of Opolskie Region in Poland, and Gage County, Nebraska in the United States.

A CFS spokesperson said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1,990 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 281.33 million poultry eggs from Japan, about 3,110 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland, and about 37,770 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 83.84 million poultry eggs from the US last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Japanese, Polish and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks," the spokesperson said. "Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation."