In February, the government notified the OIE of the outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza Type A subtype H5N1 in Central Luzon farmsPhilippine authorities told the OIE that the outbreaks resulted in the death of over 42,000 quails and ducks.
While the outbreaks have not yet affected broilers, the avian influenza virus could affect chicken-producing areas if measures are not immediately undertaken to stop its spread. The Department of Agriculture has reported that there are now confirmed cases of H5N1 in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Tarlac, Sultan Kudarat, and Benguet.
These developments are happening at a time when the Philippines remains susceptible to African swine fever, which decimated hog farms after it first struck Rizal province. And just like ASF, bird flu could spread easily and infect other farms if raisers are not careful. Disregarding biosecurity measures could also result in losses amounting to millions of pesos for local poultry growers in areas hit by bird flu, as they would be forced to cull their animals.
The fresh outbreaks have prompted the DA to appeal to the poultry growers and local government units to help stamp out bird flu. As they are the first to know if there are suspected cases in their areas, LGUs and poultry growers were urged to report cases immediately. Reporting suspected cases immediately will allow the national government and veterinarians in the region to implement the necessary measures that would prevent the spread of the virus to other farms.
Farm owners have also been urged to follow Memorandum Circular No. 5 issued by the Agriculture department