The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong Wednesday announced that the processing of applications for importing poultry and poultry products from Administrative Region 6 of Thailand (the central west part of the country) would resume with immediate effect.

The center suspended the processing of applications following confirmation of an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on a poultry farm in Thailand last November.

The center lifted the restrictions for Thailand (except Administration Region 6) in January while continuing to monitor the situation in Administrative Region 6.

"In view of the control measures taken by Thailand and the fact that there are no other cases of avian influenza reported in the country, we decide to resume processing applications from the whole of Thailand," a CFS spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2009)