HK bans poultry imports from Japan on avian influenza

HONG KONG - Hong Kong has banned the import of poultry meat and products from Okayama Prefecture, Japan, in view of an outbreak of H5 avian influenza announced by the Japanese authorities, the city's Center for Food Safety (CFS) said on Friday.

The CFS has contacted the Japanese authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organization for Animal Health on the avian influenza outbreak in the country, according to a CFS spokesman.

More than 5,000 tons of frozen and chilled poultry meat and 20 million poultry eggs were imported from Japan into Hong Kong from January to November last year, said the spokesman.