DA lifts import ban on Nebraska poultry, birds

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on all imports of domestic and wild birds, along with poultry and its products, from Nebraska  following official reports that the avian influenza virus has been absent from the American state in the last four months.

The DA lifted  the ban after an evaluation done by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed that “the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Nebraska, USA is negligible.”

Based on the final report submitted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE), or Animal Health Organization, 90 days have elapsed without any evidence of the low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) since the cleaning and disinfection of infected premises in Nebraska that began in Aug. 27 last year.

The Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the OIE sets a three-month period before a country can regain its bird flu-free status after conducting a stamping-out campaign to eradicate birds infected with the AI virus.

In August last year, the DA imposed a temporary ban on all bird and poultry imports from Nebraska and Virginia based on official reports confirming the presence of the AI virus in the two states.

The DA recently banned the entry of birds, poultry and its products from Korea, Saudi Arabia, Poland and the western African country of Benin.