‘Eating migratory birds can cause bird flu‘
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has warned the public not to eat migratory birds to avoid contracting the H5N1 avian INflUENZA OR BIRD flU.
the DA weekend Secretary said William their Dar initial over laboratory tests on migratory birds showed negative results.
He, however, advised the public not to eat migratory birds to avoid contracting bird flu.
Migratory birds may carry virus.
The H5N1 is also being monitored in China’s Hunan province located facing the South China Sea
(West Philippine Sea).
Meanwhile, DA Region 2
( Cagayan Valley) has deployed personnel to all entry and exit points in the Cagayan Valley region to prevent the entry of hogs and pork products afflicted with
African swine fever (ASF).
Narciso Edillo, DA Region 2 executive director, said the move aimed to ensure that no products coming from ASF-carrier neighboring regions would enter Region 2.
“We need to make more secure our quarantine measures against threats of African swine fever and at the same time protect the livelihood of our local farmers,”
Edillo said.
Some 3,000 pigs were placed under “culling” in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental as part of precautionary measures to stop the spread of the ASF.
Edillo said there were now three checkpoints in Santa Fe in Nueva Vizcaya and that they continue to monitor secondary entrances in Tabuk City in Kalinga province, the towns of Solana, Santa Praxedes and Enrile in Cagayan province, as well as in Quirino province.
“All checkpoints are with personnel from the Bureau of Animal Industry, regulatory personnel of other government agencies and newly veterinary medicine graduates who will undergo training for 24-hour monitoring,” he added.
The DA has already coordinated with governors in Region 2 to conduct a tight watch on all checkpoint areas since the region is surrounded by areas already affected by ASF — Regions 1 (Ilocos) and 3 (Central Luzon), and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Edillo said while pork meat with the ASF is safe for humans, this cannot be a good reason to make such meat available in the market.
ASF cases in Benguet
Provincial veterinarian Miriam Tiongan said ASF cases were found in piggery farms in Camp 1, Tuba and Beckel, La Trinidad, prompting her office to adopt needed measures to prevent the virus to spread to the 11 remaining towns.
Benguet province has jurisdiction over national highways leading to Baguio City and capital town La Trinidad, namely Naguillian Road from Bauang town in La Union; San Pascual Road from Tubao town, La Union; Marcos Highway from Pugo, La Union; Kennon Road from Rosario La Union; Benguet
Vizcaya Road via Bokod, Benguet from Kayapa Nueva Vizcaya; the Benguet-Ifugao Road via Buguias Benguet; Halsema Highway that connects to Mountain Province leading to Ifugao and Region 2; the road to Sudipen La Union via Bakun town; and the BenguetCervantes Road that connects to Ilocos Sur.
Tiongan said in Camp 1, there were 177 “depopulated” (culled) pigs, adding that the pigs included Vietnamese variety pigs that resemble native boars and the local breed.
In Beckel, La Trinidad, a police officer bought P200,000 worth of piglets online and picked them up from Pangasinan.
He then transported the 52 heads of swine in concealed ordinary pick-up trucks to avoid being discovered at quarantine checkpoints, allowing him to bring in the animals despite lack of clearances and permits.
“We went to the place on Monday for a de-pop but one of the 11 had died and the others so weak and showing signs of the ASF,” Tiongan said.
Negros ban
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has stopped the entry of hogs and pork products from Mindanao.
Lacson said the ASF has spread over Mindanao region particularly in Davao Occidental where some 1,000 hogs were culled.
He noted that his province is the gateway of livestock and meat products to Panay and Luzon.
Provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Negros Occidental has enough supply of pork.