DA bans poultry products from Iowa, N. Dakota

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has banned the entry of chicks, poultry meat, wild birds, eggs and semen from Iowa and North Dakota following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in those areas.

In Memorandum Order No. 27, Alcala said the temporary ban on chicken, wild birds and their eggs, semen and meat was in response to the report of Dr. John Clifford, deputy administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Office Internationale Des Epizooties (OIE) in Paris that the HPAI outbreak in Sac and Sioux Counties in Iowa and in LaMoure Country in North Dakota had been confirmed.

Alcala said “the outbreak of HPAI serotype H5N2 in Iowa affecting commercial turkey flock in Sac County and a commercial chicken layer flock in Sioux County comes in the heels of outbreaks in Buena Vista and Osaceola Counties in IOWA and was confirmed by the USDA APHIS and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.”

He added the HPAI outbreak in LaMoure County, North Dakota affected flocks of turkey and chicken.

In order to protect local poultry, Alcala said he has declared a ban on chicken, turkey and wild birds from Iowa and North Dakota.

Alcala also suspended the processing of applications for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) import clearances for chicken and birds from the affected areas.

“All shipments of chicken and birds from the same states will be seized and disposed of properly,’’ he added.