The Hong Kong Center for Food Safety (CFS) announced Friday that the processing of applications for importing poultry and poultry products from the Republic of Hungary will be suspended with immediate effect.

"The decision was taken following confirmation of an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 in a poultry farm in the country," a CFS spokesman said.

"We will seek further information about the case from the Hungarian authorities," he said.

Hong Kong imported some 1,200 tons of frozen poultry meat and offal from the Republic of Hungary last year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2007)