The Department of Agriculture (DA) has gladly announced that the Philippines is now bird flu-free as of January 8, 2021.
The announcement was based on the declaration of the World Organization for Animal Health. The organization’s monitoring showed that the A(H5N6) virus is no longer present in the poultry farms in Pampanga and Rizal.
The country was able to resolve the outbreaks of AI A(H5N6) in a commercial layer poultry farm in Pampanga, and backyard poultry farms in a village in Rizal, in less than a year after the poultry virus reemerged in the country.
DA Secretary William Dar shared that this is a “welcome development” since poultry meat is a necessity. He then commended the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the local governments of Pampanga and Rizal.
“I congratulate the DA-BAI and the local governments of Pampanga and Rizal, whose swift action resulted in limiting the further spread of the AI A(H5N6) strain to other areas.”
The bird flu virus was first discovered in the country in July 2020 in San Luis, Pampanga. –PTV News
