DA setting up community-based early warning systems vs bird flu
02/11/2009 | 03:15 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture is now setting up Community-Based Early Warning Systems (CBEWS) in selected barangays considered in high risk of contracting the Avian Influenza (AI) or bird flu virus as part of continuing government measures to keep the Philippines free of this animal disease.
In a report to DA Secretary Arthur Yap, Director Davinio Catbagan of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said “these CBEWs are being established to orient Barangay AI Task Forces on bird flu and the reporting process for AI suspects—both in poultry and humans—as well as the possible smuggling of poultry and exotic birds in their localities."
At the same time, “trainings and workshops are being conducted to familiarize the veterinary service on the proper collection, handling, storage and submission of tissue and blood samples," said Catbagan in his report.
Under its Avian Influenza Protection Program (AIPP), he said the BAI is also implementing an Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (AVET) Program to strengthen the capacity of the field veterinary services, especially at the local level, in designing and managing disease surveillance, conducting outbreak investigation and effective outbreak containment measures.
In coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) through the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), these Contingency Planning Workshops were conducted by the BAI in the regions to ensure that local government units (LGUs) have their respective plans in place in the event of an AI outbreak.
Catbagan reported to Yap that the workshops also educate LGUs on utilizing 5% of their calamity funds before, during and after disasters like an AI outbreak. Such workshops are being replicated at the provincial and city level, he added.
“Besides these measures, surveillance is done in the 20 critical areas as well as in other parts of the country every six months, especially during the migration season of October to February," he said. “The DA is also continually upgrading the capacity of our national and regional animal laboratories."
“So far, a total of 46,214 samples were tested since year 2005 and were found to be negative for the Highly Pathogenic AI (HPAI) virus," Catbagan said.
He said the DA is also providing assistance to LGUS to ensure that all provinces, cities and municipalities, especially those within these 20 critical areas, have the four elements of preparedness: task force, local ordinance, preparedness plan and resource inventory.
Surveillance and prevention programs are also being implemented in airports and seaports to prevent the entry of poultry and poultry products from AI-infected countries, he said.
“Unlicensed cargos are also confiscated and destroyed," he said.
The World Health Organization has reported that as of end-January this year, there were 403 laboratory-confirmed cases of the bird flu and 254 fatalities from the disease since the H5N1 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 .
Earlier, the DA opened a fourth avian flu laboratory facility in Zamboanga city in step with efforts to ensure that the Philippines remain free of bird flu.
The AI laboratory in Zamboanga City is the second in Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro City is the first city in the region to have the facility.
Other AI testing facilities are located in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga and Cebu City.
The laboratories in Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Cebu and the City of San Fernando in Pampanga complement the ongoing work being done at the Philippine Animal Health Center, which is the country’s first diagnostic facility meant to promptly detect the AI virus.- GMANews.TV
In a report to DA Secretary Arthur Yap, Director Davinio Catbagan of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said “these CBEWs are being established to orient Barangay AI Task Forces on bird flu and the reporting process for AI suspects—both in poultry and humans—as well as the possible smuggling of poultry and exotic birds in their localities."
At the same time, “trainings and workshops are being conducted to familiarize the veterinary service on the proper collection, handling, storage and submission of tissue and blood samples," said Catbagan in his report.
Under its Avian Influenza Protection Program (AIPP), he said the BAI is also implementing an Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (AVET) Program to strengthen the capacity of the field veterinary services, especially at the local level, in designing and managing disease surveillance, conducting outbreak investigation and effective outbreak containment measures.
In coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) through the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), these Contingency Planning Workshops were conducted by the BAI in the regions to ensure that local government units (LGUs) have their respective plans in place in the event of an AI outbreak.
Catbagan reported to Yap that the workshops also educate LGUs on utilizing 5% of their calamity funds before, during and after disasters like an AI outbreak. Such workshops are being replicated at the provincial and city level, he added.
“Besides these measures, surveillance is done in the 20 critical areas as well as in other parts of the country every six months, especially during the migration season of October to February," he said. “The DA is also continually upgrading the capacity of our national and regional animal laboratories."
“So far, a total of 46,214 samples were tested since year 2005 and were found to be negative for the Highly Pathogenic AI (HPAI) virus," Catbagan said.
He said the DA is also providing assistance to LGUS to ensure that all provinces, cities and municipalities, especially those within these 20 critical areas, have the four elements of preparedness: task force, local ordinance, preparedness plan and resource inventory.
Surveillance and prevention programs are also being implemented in airports and seaports to prevent the entry of poultry and poultry products from AI-infected countries, he said.
“Unlicensed cargos are also confiscated and destroyed," he said.
The World Health Organization has reported that as of end-January this year, there were 403 laboratory-confirmed cases of the bird flu and 254 fatalities from the disease since the H5N1 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 .
Earlier, the DA opened a fourth avian flu laboratory facility in Zamboanga city in step with efforts to ensure that the Philippines remain free of bird flu.
The AI laboratory in Zamboanga City is the second in Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro City is the first city in the region to have the facility.
Other AI testing facilities are located in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga and Cebu City.
The laboratories in Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Cebu and the City of San Fernando in Pampanga complement the ongoing work being done at the Philippine Animal Health Center, which is the country’s first diagnostic facility meant to promptly detect the AI virus.- GMANews.TV
