DOH: Phl bird flu-free until new case arises

The country can be considered free of avian flu if no new cases of infection emerge today, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said yesterday.

Today marks the end of surveillance activities in areas affected by the outbreak – San Luis in Pampanga and Jaen and San Isidro in Nueva Ecija.

“Basically after culling (of infected animals), we’ll be bird flu-free already until new case appears,” she said.

She stressed the Depart- ment of Heath is coordinating closely with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to prevent the spread of the infections to both animals and humans.

The Pampanga and Nueva Ecija avian flu outbreak was the first in the country. Some individuals who helped in the culling of fowl and chickens in the two provinces displayed symptoms of avian flu but later tested negative for the disease.

The first reported H5N1 strain human infection was reported in Hong Kong in 1997.

On its website, the World Heath Organization said there are three types of influenza viruses –A, B and C.

“Influenza A viruses infect humans and many different animals. Influenza B viruses only circulate among humans and cause seasonal epidemics. Influenza C viruses can infect both humans and pigs but infections are generally mild and are rarely reported,” WHO pointed out.

Results of laboratory tests conducted by the Australia Animal Health Laboratory showed that the avian flu found in Pampanga and in Nueva Ecija was positive for H5N6 strain.

The strain is relatively new as it was discovered only in 2013 and while it could infect humans, the rate of transmission is very low.

In Pampanga, Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda said P750,400 had been distributed among 316 workers involved in the culling of fowl in poultry farms in San Luis.

Each worker was paid P700 for every day of labor.

They received the amount at the Dr. Emigdio Bondoc Convention Center in San Luis town. None of them showed symptoms of flu.

“Thank you for helping save the poultry industry because culling was one way to stop the spread of the virus,” Pineda said.

President Duterte earlier declared the outbreak over, saying poultry products from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija were safe to eat.

The DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry and the provincial government – with the help of 300 soldiers – destroyed 470,640 chicken layers, broilers, ducks, pigeons, game fowl, native chicken and quail within the 1-km quarantine zone and 7-km control area, according to Roy Abaya, DA director for Central Luzon. –