Poultry exports from the United States are now banned amid fears that the bird flu will spread. The ban, which comes just two weeks before Christmas, will be a blow for some poultry farmers, who will no longer be able to export their products to the special administrative region of China.

Western foods are often enjoyed over Christmas in Hong Kong, where Western and Chinese influences are uniquely fused, and roast turkey or goose is often served to mark the holidays, according to a report by Newsweek. Poultry exports from the United States are now banned amid fears that the bird flu will spread. The ban, which comes just two weeks before Christmas, will be a blow for some poultry farmers, who will no longer be able to export their products to the special administrative region of China.

The suspension of trade effected by Hong Kong comes despite experts insisting that humans can’t contract avian influenza from properly cooked poultry or eggs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, “It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry and poultry products in the United States. The proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses.” –Newsweek

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​The affected areas hit by the ban in the U.S. are: Stanislaus County and San Benito County in California; Barron County in Wisconsin; Johnson County in Arkansas; Darke County in Ohio; and Bent County in Colorado. Hong Kong imported about 21,470 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 57.11 million poultry eggs from the U.S. in the first nine months of this year.