DOH Keeps Eye on Bird Flu outbreak

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) said it is closely monitoring the avian flu outbreak in poultry in Pampanga where the Department of Agriculture (DA) decided to cull some 500,000 chickens to contain the animal outbreak.

The DOH said it will now look for human cases that may have been exposed to avian flu strain in affected areas. “Any person who becomes sick with fever or sore throat or cough and had exposure to these dead chickens should report to the local health center or nearest hospital for laboratory confirmation,” it said.

It added that a team of DOH epidemiologists was dispatched to assist the DA in the outbreak investigation and has alerted hospitals in the affected areas to report similar cases. “All health providers should observe respiratory precautions when taking care of patients with flu or flu-like illness,” DOH said, adding, properly cooked chicken remains safe to eat.

Just recently, authorities in southern Philippines seized thousands of duck eggs and tons of dressed chicken which were shipped from Manila for fear of bird flu contamination.

Some 35,000 eggs were intercepted by the Bureau of Animal Industry from a ferry after it was found that it came from the town of Candaba near San Luis in Pampanga province where an outbreak of bird flu was reported.

The shipment was discovered by the quarantine service and had been ordered seized. It was not immediately known whether the eggs originally came from San Luis and passed through Candaba to evade the ban on poultry products from the province contaminated by the avian influenza virus common among birds.

Some 21 tons of dressed chicken were also intercepted in Cagayan de Oro City which was shipped from the Port of Manila. Authorities were investigating whether it came from Pampanga.