HONG KONG, Dec. 22 -- Hong Kong has banned the import of poultry meat and products from Douglas County, State of Oregon in the United States, in view of a notification from the American authority about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the noted area, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) said here on Monday.

A CFS spokesman said Hong Kong will be in close liaison with the American authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organization for Animal Health on avian influenza outbreaks in the country.

Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said about 220,000 tons of frozen poultry meat and about 426 million poultry eggs were imported into Hong Kong from the United States from January to October this year.