The provincial government here has implemented more control measures against avian influenza (bird flu) that was detected in ducks and quails to protect the multi-billion poultry industry and food security in the province.
Governor Dennis Pineda said on Wednesday he has gathered stakeholders to control bird flu cases that have been contained in a few farms in Candaba and Mexico towns since January.
“Lahat po tayo may papel para lalong ma-control and ma-save ang poultry industry natin (All of us have roles to play so that we could further control and save our poultry industry),” Pineda said in a social media post following the announcement of Agriculture Secretary William Dar on the control of bird flu among quails and ducks in Bulacan and Pampanga.
The governor said he has ordered the establishment of control points by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Philippine National Police within one kilometer of the affected farms.
Big and backyard farms within the control points must first present BAI-negative tests before their birds are allowed to be hauled outside of the control points.
A provincial task force consisting of the Provincial Veterinary Office and BAI was also placed on 24/7 operations in an office at the Provincial Engineering Compound.
Pineda said the provincial action plan requires biosecurity and disinfection, isolation and quarantine, surveillance, and reporting of cases within 24 hours.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier confirmed that the disease was first detected last January 6 at a duck farm in Barangay Barangka, Baliuag town in Bulacan.
It said the first outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) Type A subtype H5N1 also affected at least three commercial farms in Pampanga and another in Bulacan province.
On January 21, two commercial quail farms in Barangay Dalayap, Candaba town were also reportedly hit by avian flu, and another quail farm in Barangay Mangga, also in Candaba town on January 27. Some 37,723 quails died in the two areas.
Last February 11, infection was again detected in two adjacent quail farms in Barangay San Antonio, in Mexico, Pampanga, where some 4,522 quails reportedly died.
Dar said the DA acted swiftly to contain the bird flu through the BAI, the municipal veterinary personnel, and farm owners.
A total of 19,317 quails were culled in the two outbreaks in Candaba town while 9,768 quails were culled in Mexico town.
This is the first recorded outbreak of HPAI A (H5N1) in the Philippines. Previous outbreaks involved HPAI A (H5N6), a similarly highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype.
Dr. Glofezita Lagayan, BAI veterinarian, said the virus H5N1 was detected in quails and ducks for the first time in the two provinces since 1997 when it affected many parts of the world.
DOH Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Ida Gloria Felix, however, said there is “no known transmission of the H5N1 to humans or vice versa.” (PNA)
