The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced that in view of notification from the US authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in Moody County, it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the county with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 267 000 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 530 million poultry eggs from the US last year.

"The CFS has contacted the US authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health on avian influenza outbreaks in the country.

"Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

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