Philippines seen to regain bird flu-free status by March

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is expected to regain its bird flu-free status by March 2018, an official said yesterday.

The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) said sentinel birds in Jaen, Nueva Ecija and San Luis, Pampanga tested negative for bird flu.

“We started restocking in Jaen last Nov. 14 with 2,200 quails as part of the avian influenza protection program…We are on our fifth sample collection...If it will be negative again, we can say that Jaen is free from avian influenza,” Arlene Vytiaco, BAI Animal Health and Welfare Division chief, told a press briefing.

Vytiaco said three tests in four farms in San Luis were also negative for bird flu.

However, she said certain farm owners in Isidro, Nueva Ecija refused to cooperate with the agency.

“We need the full cooperation of farmers in loading sentinel birds. The role of the farmers is to take care and grow the sentinel birds...We will proceed with the loading on Thursday with about 60 layers,” Vytiaco said.

Apart from laboratory tests, the DA-BAI is conducting surveillance of poultry in towns near the affected areas as part of the protocols of the World Organization for Animal Health.

“We need to have a series of surveillance. We had it from Nov. 27 to 29 in Pampanga, which covered 11 towns, and another last Dec. 10.  All tests were negative. We will continue this in January,” Vytiaco said.