MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily imposed an importation ban on birds and poultry products from certain places in the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Russia due to various viral outbreaks.
In three separate memorandums, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has halted importation specifically from the village of Biddinghuizen in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands; Riyadh, Al Kharj, and Al Mazahenyia in Saudi Arabia; and Kostromskaya, Russia.
The DA explained the ban was caused by an H5N6 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak that affected ducks in the Netherlands, HSN8 HPAI affecting birds in Saudi Arabia, and the HSN2 HPAI virus affecting birds in Russia.
The outbreaks were reported to the World Organization for Animal Health last Dec. 10, Dec. 22, and Dec. 29, respectively.
The ban covers importation of domestic and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day old chicks, egg, and semen. (Juzel Danganan/PNA)
