Hong Kong suspended imports of poultry meat and products, including eggs, from specified Canadian and US areas on October 20 following notifications of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks.
The Canadian restriction covers the Municipality of Pembina in Manitoba. In the United States, it applies to Stearns and Benton counties in Minnesota and Jay County in Indiana, the Centre for Food Safety said.
The suspension took immediate effect. It is geographically targeted, not a prohibition on poultry imports from every part of either country.
The centre based its action on notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health and said it had contacted the Canadian and American authorities. It will monitor further information before deciding what action to take as the outbreaks develop.
The announcement concerns import controls following outbreaks in the listed areas. It does not identify an infected shipment entering Hong Kong or announce a domestic outbreak.
