Piñol allays fear over new bird flu case in Nueva Ecija

CABANATUAN CITY: Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol downplayed the threat of another bird flu scare here even after the culling about 42,000 chi with the virus and offered farm

Piñol, on Friday admitted that the virus of yet undetermined type was detected in a poultry farm at Barangay Concepcion in Cabiao town.

However, refused to call it - cident was already contained and discovered only in one farm owned by Peter Siu, a Chinese, while the neighboring two barangay ( villages) are being closely monitored.

He said the virus had no adverse effect on humans even the department is yet to determine if it was the same H5N6 subtype found in infected birds during

“It [ latest discovered avian flu infection] has no effect on radius to cull of fowls even away from]. No quarantine [ is imposed],” Piñol said after receiving final report from the Department of Agriculture– Region 3 and the Provincial Veterinary Office.

Piñol also assured the poultry owner will get a compensation - - sisted by the local government unit for job placements and given seeds and farm implement for six months until the situation normalizes.

He added that the alarm caused tremendous losses among

Residents have become wary when local agriculture personnel hauled and put the fowls reportedly infected with avian bags for culling since Wednesday.

They recalled that last Au earlier reported as local officials and poultry farmers noticed the impact of the disease on their fowls in April.

Meanwhile, Cabiao Mayor Ramil Rivera said he would repeal a municipal ordinance on poultry raising requiring owners to put a tunnel bent or tunnel ventilated poultry with fully bird flu virus.