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6,700 bird samples test negative for deadly flu


The Department of Agriculture said it has tested 6,680 samples of birds and fowl in Luzon and found these all negative for avian influenza – or bird flu – and other animal-transmitted diseases. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said in a statement that tests done by the Regional Avian Influenza Diagnostic Laboratory (RAIDL) in San Fernando, Pampanga showed the department’s drive to keep the Philippines free from bird flu that has so far killed close to 200 people and caused the destruction of millions of chickens worldwide. “The results of these tests collected from samples across Central Luzon and its neighboring provinces affirm the Philippines’ enviable status as among the bird-flu free countries in Asia," Yap said. “We will continue to remain vigilant against the possible entry of this dreaded animal virus to protect our poultry subsector and secure the livelihood of thousands of people dependent on this industry," he added. Inaugurated last February, the country’s first RAIDL fully complies with international standards for a biosafety laboratory. It can conduct tests to quickly detect the presence of the bird flu virus. RAIDL personnel have so far gathered a total of 6,680 bird samples from the Luzon provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales. These samples include chicken, ducks, geese, turkeys, quails and pigeons. All have tested negative for the bird flu virus. The RAIDL facility was made built through a grant of $340,000 from the New Zealand Aid and Development Agency and a counterpart fund of $50,000 from the Philippine government. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided technical assistance to the project, which is being implemented by the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). Yap said the RAIDL facility was built in Pampanga because Central Luzon is one of the high-risk areas for the AI virus, given the large concentrations of both commercial and backyard poultry farms and transient migratory birds in the region. Bulacan and Pampanga, where there are major tributaries of the Candaba Swamp, were the main focus of the field surveillance, training and conduct of various influenza related studies. The swamp is recognized as a high-risk area because of the possible close interaction of domestic poultry with migratory wild birds. The Philippines, along with Singapore and Brunei are the only countries in Southeast Asia free of bird flu. The disease first resurfaced in South Korea in 2003 and then spread quickly across the continent, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Bird flu so far has a 61 percent human fatality rate, of 313 cases as of June 15, 2007, 191 people have died. -GMANews.TV

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