Chicken deaths in Dumaguete checked

DUMAGUETE CITY – The Office of the City Veterinarian has collected blood and fecal samples from native chickens that have died from various diseases.

City Veterinarian Dr. Maria Lourdes Socorro told reporters she has received reports that at least 30 stray native chickens have died since Tuesday in Barangay Talay alone.

Concern about what killed the chickens came about following the outbreak of avian flu in several poultry farms in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.

Socorro said inspectors theorized that the birds died from endemic diseases such as chronic respiratory disease, which are common among chickens outside poultry farms.

For more specific findings, Socorro said the blood and fecal samples from the dead fowl will be thoroughly examined.

Socorro also sent veterinary personnel to barangays around Talay to check if more native chickens had died.

In Cebu City, poultry operators met to discuss the bird flu outbreak in Luzon and how they can prevent a similar outbreak in Cebu.

Dr. Armando Benabaye, vice president for the Central Visayas Broiler Raisers Association, said poultry farmers have taken steps to ensure that their broilers are safe from the virus.

Poultry farms in Cebu have already banned visitors to their farms, especially those bringing in chickens, to avoid contamination.