Hong Kong bans import of poultry meat and products from US county

Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety (CFS) announced Wednesday that it has banned the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from a county of the United States with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

The ban came after the notification from the U.S. authorities about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in Moody County in the U.S. state of South Dakota.

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

"The CFS has contacted the U.S. authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organization 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.