Disinfection of Pampanga poultry farms on; culling completed

SAN LUIS, Pampanga – The cleaning and disinfecting process in bird flu-affected farms here got underway yesterday, after close to 500,000 poultry animals were culled, Department of Agriculture regional executive director Roy Abaya announced yesterday.

In an exclusive interview, Abaya said that bio-security teams have been deployed over the weekend to disinfect the 29 farms under the control zone.

Making sure

"Then we will wait for another 21 days before fielding sentinel birds, Abaya said.

He explained that sentinel birds will indicate whether or not avian flu virus is still present in the farms.

“After 35 days at walang sintomas ang sentinel birds, pwede na natin madeclare na bird flu-free ang town ng San Luis at yung mga karatig bayan (After 35 days, if the sentinel birds do not exhibit avian flu symptoms, then we can already declare San Luis and adjacent towns bird flu – free),”' he said, adding the DA's focus now is Nueva Ecija.

He reiterated that farmers in the one-kilometer controlled radius will not be allowed to raise chickens, ducks or quails and other feathered fowls for another 90 days.

Nueva Ecija situation

Abaya said the culling process of chickens, ducks and other birds within the 1 kilometer radius continued through Monday in Jaen and San Isidro towns in Nueva Ecija.

Quarantine on the movement and distribution of all types of birds and their products has also been imposed within the 7 kilometer radius, he added.

Over the weekend, the Department of Health (DoH) has isolated and placed under close monitoring 25 farm workers in San Isidro and five in Jaen, Nueva Ecija after a bird flu outbreak was also declared in the two towns.

The outbreak in Nueva Ecija was detected more than a week after government declared an avian flu outbreak in Pampanga.

Bird flu transmission issues

Meantime, Jessie Fantone, Department of Health – Central Luzon chief epidemiologist, said bird flu transmission to humans is “rare but possible,” noting that infected birds can also transmit the virus to hogs and other livestock.

Abaya likewise encouraged poultry owners to promptly report birds that manifest flu-like symptoms or voluntarily submit them for culling if they already appear suspicious.

He explained that the typical influenza A viruses that infect and transmit among one animal species sometimes can cross over and cause illness in another species, including hogs and livestock.

"As experienced in countries where multiple outbreaks have been reported in poultry farms and since some flu viruses mix and mutate, the possibility (of the virus) jumping to people is always there,'' he said.

Precautions

"Residents in affected areas, including poultry workers should be extra cautious. They have to constantly monitor their health and report immediately to authorities if they experience flu-like symptoms,'' according to Fantone.

Fantone said those who wore protective gear, including the soldiers who incinerated and dumped the fowls will also be kept in the quarantine area for 10 days.