Philippines suspends importation of poultry products from US

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government has issued an order temporarily prohibiting the importation of domesticated and wild birds and their products from Idaho and Washington in the United States, the Department of Agriculture said today.

A report of an outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus in Canyon County, Idaho; and Clallam County, Washington from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Office of International des Epizooties (OIE) has prompted Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala to order the temporary ban.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the outbreak of HPAI serotype H5N2 affecting backyard flocks of geese, ducks and chicken in the above-mentioned counties.

Alcala said that he has set the temporary ban to protect the health of the local livestock population and food safety in the country from the avian flu virus.

The ban covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.

Under the order, Alcala specified emergency measures such as the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Import Clearance to import the aforementioned commodities from the said locations; and stoppage and confiscation of all shipments of aforementioned commodities from the said locations, except heat-treated products.