Department of Agriculture lifts ban on poultry products from Germany, Japan

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the ban on all birds and poultry products from Germany and Japan based on official confirmed reports showing the absence of the avian influenza virus in the two countries.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap issued the order after the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) or World Animal Health Organization confirmed that Germany has regained its “avian influenza free status,” according to the requirements of the OIE Animal Health Code.

The OIE based its findings on the report submitted by the Department of Health and Food Hygiene, Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of Germany, which stated that the “cleaning and disinfection of the affected” AI farms were completed in April this year and that “on-going surveillance has not detected any additional cases.”

A separate report submitted to the OIE by the Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau of Japan confirmed that it has regained its avian-influenza free status and that the bureau did not detect any additional case of the dreaded virus.

In separate memorandum orders, Yap said that based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Germany and Japan is already “negligible.”

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.