February 29, 2015 

Philippines orders temporary ban on Chinese Taipei fowl products

The Philippines on Wednesday ordered a temporary ban on poultry imports including meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen from Chiayi County in Chinese Taipei.

Its agriculture secretary, Proceso Alcala, said this was to protect the health of the local livestock population and food safety in the country from avian influenza, also known as bird flu. The Chinese Taipei's Agriculture Technology Research Institute earlier reported to the Office of International des Epizooties (OIE), or World Organisation for Animal Health, that there had been an outbreak of avian flu serotype H5N8 virus affecting goose farms in Da-Lin Township in Chiayi.

The H5 virus is among the notifiable OIE-listed terrestrial animal diseases, infections and infestations in force in 2014.

Alacala ordered emergency measures such as the suspension of the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Import Clearance to import; and stoppage and confiscation of all the banned commodities from Chiayi, except heat-treated products.

"We have been taking all the necessary measures to protect our borders against avian diseases, which could threaten our country's growing poultry industry," Alcala said.

Earlier this week the Philippines also banned the entry of poultry meat and products coming from Haifa, Israel; and Oregon, USA, as a precautionary measure against avian flu.