The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (CFS) announced its decision to halt poultry and derived product imports as a measure to “protect public health” following a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health.
According to official data, the region did not import poultry or derived products from Portugal in the first nine months of 2025.
The CFS has already contacted Portuguese authorities and intends to closely monitor the situation and updates from the World Organisation for Animal Health.
“Appropriate measures will be taken in response to developments,” the statement noted.
The CFS also banned, for similar reasons, poultry imports from specific regions in Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, France, and Denmark.
On Thursday, Portugal’s Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV) mandated the confinement of domestic birds in 95 areas across 14 districts identified as high-risk zones for avian flu.
“Poultry and captive birds in establishments, including home-kept birds, located in the high-risk zones for avian flu should be confined to prevent contact with wild birds,” DGAV stated in an official notice.
Affected districts include Porto, Lisbon, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro, Leiria, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Setúbal, Évora, Beja, Portalegre, and Faro.
Two days earlier, DGAV had warned of the high risk of bird flu spread.
To date, 31 outbreaks have been detected in Portugal this year; the latest were at a captive bird exhibition in Aveiro district and a captive bird establishment in Santarém district, DGAV indicated in the notice.
These regions will remain under health restrictions until December 12 and 19, respectively, according to DGAV.
The notice explains that avian flu causes “very high mortality, especially among poultry.”
This has “significant impact (…) on poultry production, as it leads to the suspension of live bird trading and product sales in affected areas and may impact bird and product exports.”
Transmission of the H5N1 virus to humans is rare, with sporadic cases reported globally. However, when transmission occurs, it can result in severe clinical conditions.
