Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety announced that the processing of applications for importing poultry and poultry products from the Republic of Hungary would 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.

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

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