The Department of Agriculture (DA) declared on Wednesday, March 30, an outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) or H5N1 in the country.
This, as the DA reported an increasing number of avian flu cases mostly in Central Luzon.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said duck and quail farms in Central Luzon farms are mostly affected by bird flu, which he reiterated, was caused by migratory birds visiting the country.
“Yung apektado karamihan dito sa Central Luzon pero mostly ducks and quails. Meron tayong pagtugon agad sa mga apektado at nabibigyan na rin ng ayuda yung mga naapektuhan (Most ducks and quails in Central Luzon were infected. We already provided assistance to farmers affected by the outbreak),” Dar said over Laging Handa briefing.
In an earlier statement, the DA chief said that the agency had already issued a memorandum circular (MC) to intensify its containment and control of the disease.
Under the MC, the DA “will regulate the movement of ducks, quails, chicken, and other poultry in bird-flu-affected areas, especially commodities from within the one-kilometer (km) quarantine area.”
To properly implement the guidelines under the MC, the department and its attached agency, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), has also coordinated with concerned local government units (LGUs), Regional Field Offices (RFOs), and other poultry industry stakeholders.
Dar said that LGUs should monitor local hot spots, mainly swampy areas, that may house migratory birds containing bird flu.
For the possible transmission of the disease to humans, he said the agency had contacted the Department of Health (DOH) to help them monitor residents in affected areas.
“Kami ay in tandem with LGUs even with DOH Merong possibility na makahawa sa health pero wala pa naman na mo-monitor na transmission ng H5N1 virus sa humans though may pagaaral na there’s a possibility (We are in tandem with LGUs and the DOH. There’s a study about possibility of human transmission of H5N1 virus but so far we have monitored zero cases),” Dar explained.
In the case of H5N1-affected farmers, Dar said that the DA would provide assistance and help them start over once the country records zero bird flu cases.