July 8, 2005

Philippines hit by bird flu
 

The Philippines has recently reported its first case of bird flu on a duck farm north of Manila.

While the government tried to allay fears by saying there was no indication it was the deadly H5N1 strain, the ducks would still be culled and samples would be sent to Australia for further testing.

So far, the Philippines had been the only Asian country with a significant poultry industry reportedly unaffected by bird flu. The government had also taken a number of precautions, including strict bans on poultry imports from affected countries.