The Antipolo City Veterinary Office (CVO) launched on Thursday, Dec. 23, its regular blood and cloacal sample collection of its chickens, ducks, and turkeys as it ramps up its efforts to prevent the entry of the avian Influenza virus or bird flu in the city.
"Bukod sa Rabies, African Swine Flu (ASF), atbp, kasama din sa surveillance ang Bird Flu na isinagawa ng ating City Veterinary Office (CVO). Regular ang pagkuha ng blood at cloacal sample collection sa mga poultry birds na ipinapasuri natin sa laboratory (Besides Rabies, African Swine Flu (ASF), and other diseases, our City Veterinary Office is also monitoring Bird Flu. The CVO conducts regular blood and cloacal sample collection of poultry birds which are then sent to the laboratory for testing)," the local government unit (LGU) said.
The LGU also expressed its gratitude to the members of CVO for ensuring that all poultry and egg products which are being sold to the community are safe and free from any diseases.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the country had its very first bird flu outbreak on August 11, 2017 in Pampanga wherein almost 600,000 birds were culled in San Luis, Pampanga and in San Isidro and Jaen in Nueva Ecija.
On January 8, 2021, the Philippines was declared free of the last remaining A(H5N6) strain of the avian influenza (AI) by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).