Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Lithuania and Vietnam suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 1) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Jurbarkas District Municipality of Tauragė County in Lithuania, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Ninh Thuan Province in Vietnam, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Lithuania for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs, and has currently established a protocol with Vietnam for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. According to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first three months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 7.15 million poultry eggs from Vietnam, while no poultry meat was imported from Lithuania.

"The CFS has contacted the Lithuanian and Vietnamese 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.
 
Ends/Tuesday, June 1, 2021