Poultry raisers issue warning on spread of fowl adenovirus

THE Philippines is seeing rising cases of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in poultry, worsening the production woes of fowl raisers who continue to reel from high input costs due to disruption to global supply chains.

The disease, which is caused by fowl adenovirus, is not harmful to humans since it is not zoonotic, government and private experts said.

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Executive Director Reildrin G. Morales confirmed the growing number of IBH cases in the country, which he pointed out “threatens” poultry production as the disease may cause high mortality rate among flocks.

Morales explained that IBH has been present in the country even before and has always been considered as a “disease of farm concern.” However, the industry saw an uptick in IBH cases this year.

“Our data shows that we have concerns with IBH. The cases are quite high,” Morales, who also serves as the country’s chief veterinary officer, said.

“This disease has a threat to our poultry production due to the high mortality rate. And all threats that will affect our harvest and growth of chickens, will have an impact on our supply,” he added.

Collaboration

MORALES assured the public and poultry raisers that the government is continuously collaborating with the private sector, including raisers and veterinarians, to address the situation.

The government has already held at least two technical meetings regarding the IBH situation and will continue to hold more, sources familiar with the matter told the Businessmirror.

Morales did not disclose data on the current IBH situation, including the number of affected population and areas with confirmed cases.

But industry sources that are familiar with the matter, but not authorized to speak, told the Businessmirror that there have been confirmed IBH cases, involving layers and broilers, in Central Luzon and Southern Luzon.

The BAI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, has already issued special import permits for autogenous vaccines against IBH as part of the government measures to address poultry production problems that have resulted in lower supply and higher retail prices.

The BAI noted that the IBH, a “viral” disease, is resistant to several disinfectants, head and even changes in ph.

Lower production

GREGORIO SAN DIEGO, chairman of the United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra) and the Philippine Egg Board Association, told the Businessmirror that the spread of IBH is causing further headaches to poultry raisers who are already suffering from dismal production.

San Diego said poultry raisers that have been affected by IBH reported lower egg output for layers and smaller sizes for broilers.

“I am worried that the situation may worsen since this disease spreads faster since some infected poultry do not exhibit symptoms, thereby putting at risk other birds,” he said.

For the first time, Ubra recorded the sale of lower sized broilers—ranging from 700 grams to 1.29 kilograms—in the market. The group explained that these undersized broilers were used to be given for free but because of the lower production, raisers have been forced to sell them to the market.

A runt size broiler (700 grams to 1 kilogram) is now fetching at a farm-gate price of P85 per kilogram, while an undersized broiler (1 kilogram to 1.29 kilograms) is being sold from P105 to P110 per kilogram at the farm level, based on weekly Ubra price survey.

Vaccines needed

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines-los Baños professor Sherwin Camba, who is part of the technical group conducting surveillance on IBH, told the Businessmirror that there are indeed rising cases of the disease in areas with “high” poultry population today.

Camba, a diplomate member of the Philippine College of Poultry Practitioners (PCPP), explained that the disease mainly affects the liver and also affects the pancreas and kidneys of the poultry, causing digestive problems such as loss of appetite and gizzard erosion.

Camba added that poultry infected by IBH may experience runting among broilers and reduction in egg output among layers.

Camba emphasized that the best option to combat IBH is autogenous vaccination, meaning that the vaccines will be made out of the specific serotype of IBH disease affecting a given poultry population.

However, the country’s available killed vaccine against IBH is only effective against two serotypes. The IBH disease has 12 serotypes, Camba added. Camba said the locally available killed IBH vaccine is effective against serotype 4 and 8 but the prevailing serotype affecting domestic poultry farms today is 8-B, based on ongoing surveillance.

“That is why we need to import [the autogenous vaccines] if we want to do the vaccination against the same serotype,” he said.