DA stops bird, poultry imports from bird flu-stricken Italian city

The Philippines’ Agriculture department ordered a temporary ban on importing bird and poultry products from a northern Italian city after authorities confirmed outbreaks of bird flu or avian influenza (H5N1) there. Department of Agriculture Secretary Bernie Fondevilla issued the ban after the Office International des Epizooties (World Organization on Animal Health) confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza in Bergamo in Lombardy, Italy, the DA said in a statement on Thursday. The department said the European Commission’s Health and Consumers Directorate General confirmed the presence of low pathogenic avian influenza in two poultry holdings in Bergamo. The department also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing and issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearances (VQCs) to all imports covering products from the banned area. Fondevilla stressed the poultry industry in the Philippines has remained free of bird flu ever since the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain struck Asia seven years ago. Brunei, Singapore, and the Philippines are the only avian influenza-free countries in Southeast Asia. To protect the local industry, the DA has set up Community-Based Early Warning Systems (CBEWS) in selected communities identified as high-risk in contacting the virus. The CBEWS would orient the communities on avian influenza mortalities, possible AI cases, and smuggling of poultry and exotic birds from avian influenza-infected countries. The department also tapped the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to implement the Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (AVET) Program to strengthen the capacity of local field veterinary services in designing and managing disease surveillance and conducting outbreak investigations. The national government has four Regional Avian Influenza Diagnostic Laboratories (RAIDLs) in Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro City, Cebu City, and San Fernando City in Pampanga. These complement the Avian Influenza Laboratory at the Philippine Animal Health Center of the BAI, the country’s first diagnostic facility meant to promptly detect the H5N1 virus. -- Nikka Corsino, GMANews.TV