Push Admin

DA imposes stricter measures to curb bird flu outbreaks

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Ducks are seen at a poultry farm in San Luis, Pampanga on Aug. 15, 2017. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/29/20170815-pampanga-avian-flu-15-jc.jpg"/><figcaption>Ducks are seen at a poultry farm in San Luis, Pampanga on Aug. 15, 2017. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA (UPDATE) — The Department of Agriculture has announced tighter restrictions against bird flu after outbreaks of the avian influenza H5N1 were confirmed in some parts of Luzon.The agency issued a memorandum circular that regulates the movement of ducks, quail, chicken, and other poultry commodities in affected areas, particularly those coming from within the 1-kilometer quarantine area.&quot;We need to act immediately to control avian influenza — which was initially detected in a duck farm in Bulacan and quail farms in Pampanga — so that we can prevent further spread and damage to our poultry industry,&quot; Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement Tuesday.Farm owners must comply with the transport requirements in compliance with the prescribed surveillance period, diagnostic tests, and biosecurity protocol of the World Organization for Animal Health.Dar said the avian influenza virus detected was of subtype H5N1, &quot;which is also a threat to human health&quot;.To date, health authorities have not received reports of transmission of the H5N1 virus to people in affected areas.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/03/03/22/negros-occidental-bans-entry-of-poultry-over-bird-flu-fears">Negros Occidental bars entry of poultry amid bird flu threat</a></li></ul>The DA also released a memorandum circular that provides guidance to local government units and poultry industry stakeholders on the prescribed movement of live birds, poultry products and by-products from Luzon to Mimaropa, Visayas, and Mindanao.Dr. Reildrin Morales, director of DA-Bureau of Animal Industry, said H5N1 cases have also been detected in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Tarlac, Sultan Kudarat, and Benguet. Migratory or resident wild birds, late or non-reporting of suspected cases, and illegal movement of birds from H5N1-hit areas could have spread the infection. Worldwide, H5N1 is the predominant strain in almost all poultry outbreaks in 2021 and 2022, Morales said. Of the 38 countries that reported the detection of H5N1 since the last quarter of 2021, 31 still have active cases, including the US, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and most European Union member-countries, he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/23/22/some-44k-fowls-culled-to-contain-bird-flu-spread">Some 44,000 fowls culled in Bulacan, Pampanga to contain bird flu spread</a></li></ul><div>&#x27;UNDER CONTROL&#x27;</div>In a TeleRadyo interview, Morales said bird flu cases in some parts of the country were under control.&quot;We can say na under control po ito, bagaman every now and then may kumakalat at maganda po rito ay &#x27;yung capacity natin to respond ay nandoon at &#x27;yung ating mga stakeholders ay very cooperative,&quot; he said.(We can say these are under control, although every now and then it spreads. What is good here is our capacity to respond is there and our stakeholders are very cooperative.) The country has so far reported 45 cases of avian flu to the World Organization for Animal Health while other cases are being verified, Morales said.Of the figure, all bird flu cases in Pampanga are considered resolved, he added.To curb the further spread of bird flu, the BAI director said duck and quail farms suspected to have been affected by the H5N1 strain were quarantined pending laboratory results. Birds are culled should test results turn out positive of avian flu.In the Philippines, he said there were 20 areas considered as hotspot destination of wild birds.&quot;Halos lahat ng ating outbreak cases ay dito naka-cluster (almost all our outbreak cases are clustered here), around these hotspots areas,&quot; Morales said.

The DA announced tighter restrictions against bird flu after outbreaks of the avian influenza H5N1 were confirmed in some parts of Luzon.