HONG KONG, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced Tuesday a ban on import of poultry meat and eggs from Matjhabeng Local Municipality, South Africa.

In view of a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Matjhabeng Local Municipality, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the Hong Kong SAR government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has banned the import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the area, the CFS said.

The ban, with immediate effect, aims to protect public health in Hong Kong, it added.

A CFS spokesman said that no poultry meat or poultry eggs were imported from South Africa in the first six months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the South African authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate actions will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.