October 27, 2005

 

Philippines adopts new measures to bar entry of bird flu

 

The Philippines has adopted more stringent measures to prevent the entry of highly pathogenic avian influenza, officials of the Department of Agriculture said Thursday.

 

"Avian flu is preventable, and if we are successful in preventing an infection in poultry, then we can protect humans," Davinio Catbagan, director of the Bureau of Animal Industry, told a news briefing.

 

One of the measures adopted by the bureau prohibited entry of the country's duck population into swampy areas frequented by migratory birds, Catbagan said.

 

This measure, which was being implemented in close coordination with duck raisers, started this month and would be applied up to March next year, he said.

 

Migratory birds that cruised along the East Asia-Australia flyway were most visible in the Philippines between October to February, he added.

 

According to Catbagan, ducks were most susceptible to an infection coming from migratory birds, since ducks preferred marshy areas. Chicken farms, on the other hand, were usually situated in dryland areas, he said.

 

To further deter infection among the duck population, the bureau has also restricted trade and inter-island movement of ducks. This meant duck raisers were required to secure the necessary shipping permits from the bureau before they could transport their ducks, he added.

 

Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban said certain bio-security measures that included vaccination, footbaths and fumigation were also being implemented by local poultry raisers.

 

The department was also screening all imported poultry and poultry products for avian flu at airports and seaports, conducting surveillance of poultry in critical areas, and upgrading its avian flu diagnostic capability, Panganiban said.

 

The department has also imposed a ban on all poultry and poultry products, including pet birds, coming from avian flu-infected countries.

 

The Philippines was one of the few Southeast Asian countries that has managed to remain free of the deadly H5N1 avian flu, which has killed more than 60 people in four Asian nations since late 2003.