DA raises alert against bird flu

The country may be safe from the dreaded avian flu virus, but Bureau of Quarantine of the Department of Agriculture isn't taking any chances.

It has doubled its efforts to prevent bird flu from entering the region as another case has been reported in Indonesia recently.

Veterinary Quarantine Officer Pablo Balite said his office has been coordinating with airport personnel and local chief executives in implementing strict measures to prevent the strain of flu from entering the region.

Balite said his office is banning the sale and transportation of live poultry. His office also has asked airport personnel and concerned agencies to prevent Peking ducks from China entering the country.

He said that millions of migratory birds are expected to arrive in the country during the last quarter of the year. Intensive information and education campaigns will be undertaken in these areas to inform local governments to keep people and domestic poultry from having direct contact with the migratory birds.

He said one of the places in the region his office is keeping a close watch is the Olango Island where migratory birds usually flock every December.

"We are also closely watching entry points, those in our ports and airports to prevent the entry of birds from other areas in Asia," Balite said.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban recently announced that government is embarking on an intensive multi-pronged strategy to keep the Philippines bird-flu free.

The call was made amid global calls for the international partnerships against the bird flu threat in the wake of mounting fears that millions of people could die unless drastic counter measures are put in place.

The disease has continued to spread in many neighboring Asian countries. Active infection in migratory birds in Russia and China were also confirmed. This twin development poses a real threat to the country because of the close borders with AI-affected countries and that the Philippines is in the path of migratory birds traveling from northern countries to escape the severe winter season," Panganiban said.

He said the AI defense program involves strict border controls, intensive field surveillance of habitats of migratory birds, education and information campaigns, training of government veterinarians and upgrading of national and regional animal health laboratories.

He said the program will involve the DA, DOH, DENR, DILG, Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police and many other government agencies. Local government units will be mobilized and the private sector will be actively involved", Panganiban said.

On July 9 and 27,the Office International des Epizooties (OIE)-Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world animal health organization, announced in its website the invalidation of detection of AI in the Philippines, thus confirming the AI-free status of the country.

"I am also directing the Bureau of Animal Industry and DA regional and provincial officers specially in the coastal towns of southern and western Mindanao to monitor the entry of live birds especially from AI affected countries and immediately destroy these animals", Panganiban said.

The BAI had seized and destroyed some 50 parrots in General Santos City, which reportedly came from Indonesia. – Jasmin Uy