Imports of live birds and poultry meat from the Mainland have been temporarily suspended following further suspected avian influenza outbreaks in Guangdong and Anhui provinces, and Shanghai city.

The Health, Welfare & Food Bureau said it has received notification from Mainland authorities on the outbreak situation and decided that all live birds, including chickens, ducks, geese and pet birds, and all poultry meat imports be suspended with immediate effect.

The bureau stressed that there are no registered chicken farms for export to Hong Kong in Guangdong's Jiedong county, including Jieyang city, which is suspected to be affected by an avian flu outbreak.

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will step up inspections of retail markets to watch for any signs of infection in chickens.

There have been no reports of any abnormalities in local farms.