February 20, 2007

Philippines alerts 4 towns for possible occurrence of bird flu

The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) has alerted four towns in the Western Visayas province of Capiz that are most likely at risk to bird flu after a suspected bird-flu carrier was found last week in the nearby province of Sorsogon.

According to Manila Times daily, monitoring of migratory birds in the towns of Sapian, Sigma, Ivisan and Roxas City have already been beefed up as rich mangrove forests have been the favourite dwelling place of these birds, said Dr Leah del Rosario, DOH representative in Capiz.

Forester Rodrigo Diego, Protected Area and Coastal Zone Management head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-Capiz), said they are conducting regular bird identification and monitoring, bird counting, surveillance of suspected areas and advocacy campaigns in the identified "red-alert" areas.

In particular, they are conducting the activities in Lonoy in Sapian, Agustin Navarra in Ivisan, Balijuagan and Sibaguan in Roxas City, Binawbawan in Pilar and in the Tinagong Dagat in Pontevedra towns.

The government has tasked the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as the DOH to keep a tight watch in monitoring seaports and airports throughout the country to prevent the possible entry of bird flu.

Last Monday, officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has seized a Japanese carrying poultry eggs as NAIA complied with the DA's ban of poultry products coming from Japan because of an H5N1 outbreak on Japanese poultry which was discovered recently.