Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety says that the processing of applications for importing poultry and poultry products from Germany would be suspended with immediate effect.

"The decision was taken following confirmation of a case involving the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 on a poultry farm in the country," a CFS spokesman said. "We will seek further information about the case from the relevant authorities."

Hong Kong imported about 3,300 tons of frozen poultry meat from Germany from September last year to March this year.