Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety has announced the processing of applications for importing poultry and poultry products from Germany would be suspended with immediate effect.

"The decision was taken following confirmation of a case involving the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on a poultry farm in the country," a spokesman for the center said Monday.

He said that the center was seeking further information about the case from the relevant authorities.

Hong Kong has imported about 1,400 tons of frozen poultry meat or offal from Germany since April this year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2008)