Pasay City health authorities culled two parakeets on Friday, July 22, after one of them tested positive for H5N1 virus or avian flu.
The Indian ring-necked parakeets were confiscated by members of the City Veterinary Office, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Pasay City Health Office, City Health Office and the city police around 11:00 a.m. inside the house of a bird breeder.
Miko Lllorca, head of the CHO City Epidemiology, said the birds were culled after one of them tested positive for H5N1 virus during the test conducted by the City Veterinary Office.
The test is part of the requirement for the documentation of the animals.
Llorca said the bird breeder said his male parakeet needs a partner so he bought a female parakeet in Muntinlupa.
He said the breeder claimed that each parakeet costs P50,000 to P80,000. He did not oppose the culling of the birds.
The CESU chief said they will monitor the status of the breeder’s other pets as well as the other birds in the area.
Lllorca said the breeder and his household will undergo a 10-day quarantine to ensure they were not carriers of the illness.
“Iqu-quarantne po namin for 10 days and imo-monitor po namin kung magka-symptoms po sila at ‘yung mga kapitbahay ay na-advise na rin po natin na magbantay. Ang atin pong sanitary team ay magsasagawa ng disinfection sa area (We will quarantine them for 10 days and monitor if they will develop symptoms, and we advised the neighbors to stay alert. The sanitary team will conduct disinfection in the area),” Lllorca said.