Philippines bans poultry imports from Bhutan, Denmark

 

 

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a temporary ban on the entry of birds and poultry and poultry products, from Bhutan and Denmark but lifted the same import restrictions earlier imposed on France.

 

DA Secretary Bernie Fondevilla issued two separate directives for this twin action.

 

The ban was imposed on bird and poultry imports from Bhutan and Denmark after official reports from the World Organization on Animal Health (OIE) had confirmed outbreaks of the dreaded bird flu virus in these two countries, Fondevilla said.

 

She said the ban on bird and poultry imports from Bhutan and Denmark, along with other emergency measures, were necessary to protect both human health and the poultry industry in the Philippines, which has remained bird-flu free ever since the AH1N1 strain of this virus struck back in Asia six years ago.

 

The Philippines along with Brunei and Singapore are the only bird-flu free countries in Southeast Asia.

 

The DA directed its quarantine officers and inspectors at all major airports and seaports to stop and confiscate all shipments of live birds, poultry and poultry products into the country originating from Bhutan and Denmark.

 

In another directive, the DA lifted the ban earlier imposed on bird and poultry imports from France after a report received by the OIE confirmed that bird flu in that country had been successfully eradicated.

 

On the other hand, Fondevilla explained the ban was after the OIE restored France's bird-flu free status on March 2 and the DA's Bureau of Plant Industry confirmed that the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from France is negligible.

 

Meanwhile, the WHO reported that as of March 30 this year, there were 492 laboratory-confirmed cases of the bird flu and 291 fatalities from the disease since the AH1N1 strain of the virus broke out in Southeast Asia in 2003 and then spread across the rest of the continent, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

 

The government currently has four bird flu testing facilities located in Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City and San Fernando in Pampanga.