The Center for Food Safety of the Hong Kong government announced Monday the processing of applications for the importation of poultry and poultry products from Japan will be suspended with immediate effect.

"The decision was taken following confirmation of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 in a poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture of Japan," a spokesman for the Center said.

"We will seek further information about the case from the Japanese authorities," he added.

Hong Kong imported some 1,800 tons of frozen poultry meat/offal from Japan from January to September last year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2007)