DA temporarily bans poultry products from Taipei

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily banned the importation of domesticated and wild birds and their products from Chiayi County, Chinese Taipei.

Likewise banned entry to the Philippines are poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen from Chiayi County, Chinese Taipei.

The DA received a report from the World Organisation for Animal  Health (OIE) of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) serotype H5N8 in a geese farm in Da-Lin Township in Taipei.

The outbreak was confirmed by Chinese Taipei’s Agriculture Technology Research Institute.

The H5 HPAI virus is among the notifiable OIE-listed terrestrial animal diseases as of 2014.

In line with the importation ban, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has ordered the immediate suspension of the processing and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Import Clearance for such commodities.

All such shipments arriving in Philippines, with the exception of heat-treated products, would be confiscated.

“We have been taking all necessary measures to protect our borders against avian diseases, which could impend over our country’s growing poultry industry,” said Alcala.

The OIE is an inter-governmental organization that informs governments of the occurrence of animal diseases and of ways to control these diseases.

It also conducts studies devoted to the surveillance and control of animal diseases and of harmonizing regulations to facilitate trade in animals and animal products.