DA declares Benguet free of avian influenza

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has cleared the province of Benguet of avian influenza (AI) or bird flu.

In a memorandum circular issued on Tuesday, February 13, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that 90 days have passed since the end of disinfection operations and surveillance which yielded negative bird flu results.

“Continued disease monitoring and surveillance in the 1-kilometer and 7-km surveillance zones surrounding the affected farms yielded negative test results for influenza type A virus,” Tiu Laurel said through the memo.

Benguet recorded 11 confirmed cases of the H5NI variant of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). All cases were detected in ducks, native chickens, chicken layers, game fowl, culled broiler breeders, turkeys and geese.

The animal disease was identified in Baguio City and several municipalities including Atok, Buguias, Itogon, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tublay .

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, a country previously free from the avian influenza can regain its status after at least 28 days following the completion of stamping out measures, disinfection of the last affected facility and subsequent surveillance confirming the absence of infection.

In November last year, the Agriculture department allowed the commercial use of AI vaccines following the release of guidelines for vaccination as measure to prevent further spread of the disease.

The department established guidelines for obtaining the vaccines and has identified priority zones. The DA previously stated that the outbreak of HPAI in the country has resulted in significant economic repercussions in the poultry sector due to elevated mortality rates.

Avian types, which are eligible and ineligible for vaccines, were also identified.

Eligible types are commercial layer chicken, commercial layer breeder, commercial broiler breeder, commercial colored/free-range breeder, commercial grandparent broiler breeder, smallhold layer/ native chicken, duck, game fowl, turkey and goose.

The types ineligible for vaccination are commercial broiler chicken, smallhold broiler, quail, pigeon and exotic birds.

However, the DA emphasized through a memorandum circular that vaccination doesn’t offer complete assurance and urges all facilities to prioritize implementing the highest possible biosecurity measures.