PH bans birds from Czech Republic

THE Philippines placed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds from the Czech Republic after it confirmed an outbreak of the H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in several parts of the country.

In its Memorandum Order 13, series of 2020, the Department of Agriculture ( DA) cited a report from Czech Republic’s State Veterinary Administration saying the Vysocina region was positive on the occurrence of the H5 HPAI, a deadly virus that occurs mainly in birds, especially in domestic poultry.

The avian influenza virus, or H5N8, often carried by migrating wild birds, has spread in Eastern Europe in recent weeks, affecting farms in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.

With the ban in place, the Agriculture department suspended the processing and evaluation of applications for and the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for domestic and wild birds, including their poultry products.

The department also assured that veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors in all major Philippine ports would stop and confiscate all inbound shipments of the banned items.

“There is a need to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of local poultry population,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar stated in the order.

The DA had earlier imposed temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds from