DA temporarily bans movement of “live domestic and wild birds, and their products” from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, and from Pampanga to other parts of Luzon.
(Eagle News) — Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol has confirmed there was a bird flu outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga.
In a press conference on Friday, Pinol said an immediate cull was ordered for all chicken, ducks and quail within a kilometer (0.6 miles) of the infected poultry in the town north of Metro Manila.
He said the authorities suspect the virus could have been spread by migratory birds or from smuggled poultry products.
According to Pinol, the health department was meanwhile monitoring the health of farm workers exposed to the infected birds.
“So far we do not have any reported animal to human transmissions,” Pinol told a news conference.
He noted that the infected birds tested positive for avian influenza Type A, sub-type H5.
The avian flu strains that have been known to jump to humans are the H5N1 and H5N7 subtypes, said Celia Carlos, director of the health department’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Philippine officials have not yet said which H5 subtype the infected birds carried.
“The transmission risk is low, but the mortality is high. It is a concern,” said Carlos, especially for infants as well as people suffering from other ailments.
About 200,000 birds would have to be put down and their carcasses buried, Pinol said, adding farmers would be compensated.
According to Pinol, the six infected Philippine farms only sold their products to local consumers and none had been exported.
However, he added that the outbreak began in April and the farm owners had neglected to report it to the authorities immediately.
Temporary ban
As such, Pinol said to prevent the potential spread of avian flu, the government has banned the transport of all poultry products from within seven kilometers of the infected farms.
In a memorandum circular dated Aug. 11, Enrico Garzon Jr., assistant secretary for livestock and officer in charge of the Bureau of Animal Industry, said the movement of “live domestic and wild birds, and their products” from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, and from Pampanga to other parts of Luzon, was temporarily banned.
These products include poultry meat, day old chicks and eggs.
“Within Luzon Island, the movement of fresh frozen meat, eggs and other uncooked poultry products may be allowed provided this is outside the 7-kilometer radius control area of the outbreak site in Pampanga,” he said.
Garzon said these products “must be accompanied by a shipping permit and health certificate issued by a government sector veterinarian certifying that these products were sourced from farms with no incidence of avian influenza for the past 21 days prior to shipment.”
“This temporary ban will take effect until such time that no new cases are reported 21 days after the depopulation of the affected areas,” he said.
The World Health Organization has monitored 453 human deaths from 859 cases of avian influenza since 2000, with Asia accounting for 41 percent of all cases.
The Philippines had not previously reported any human cases, according to WHO data. (Agence France Presse)