Hong Kong decided to suspend the import of live poultry from neighboring Guangdong Province starting from Sunday night after receiving a notification by the Ministry of Health on a confirmed case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza virus in Guangzhou, Guangdong's capital.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said that the bureau had discussed with the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on adjusting the arrangement of live poultry and birds supply to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong government decided to suspend the supply of live poultry and pet birds from the Guangdong Province for three weeks to allow the relevant authorities to conduct comprehensive investigations though there was no avian influenza outbreak in Guangdong so far.

According to the spokesman, if it is confirmed that there has been no additional human infection case and that there is no outbreak of avian influenza in live poultry farms in Guangdong, the supply of live poultry and birds will be resumed.

(CRI March 6, 2006)