Hong Kong blocks Vietnam poultry on bird flu fear

Hong Kong has put a temporary block on poultry meat and product imports from the Lao Cai Province in Vietnam on the back of bird flu fears.

The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced the ban in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health, about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam.

The ban includes poultry meat and products and eggs. The CFS said it had "established a protocol" with Vietnam for import of salted duck eggs but not for poultry meat. Due to the development of outbreaks in Vietnam, import of salted duck eggs from designated egg processing plants in all infected regions has also been suspended.

"The CFS has contacted the Vietnamese authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE 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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