Dumaguete, parts of Negros Or on alert of new poultry disease

CEBU, Philippines - Dumaguete City and other parts of Negros Oriental are now on alert following reports that a new kind of disease had caused the deaths of poultry animals specifically chickens and roosters of backyard raisers in the city and province.

As such, the City Agriculture Office, the City Veterinary Office, and the Quarantine Office of the Bureau of Animal Industry in Dumaguete yesterday collected blood and cloacal swab samples from chickens and roosters believed to be infected with a yet unknown kind of disease.

City Agriculturist William Ablong immediately coordinated with City Veterinarian Lourdes Socorro and Quarantine Officer Alfonzo Tundag for the collection of samples today. At least five swab and blood samples were taken from chickens of two neighbors in Barangay Talay and were sent to the regional office for laboratory analysis.

Backyard raiser Jaylord Garcia of Talay and his mother Dorie has confirmed they culled yesterday ten fighting cocks and additional two chicks today while another five were buried by their neighbor Hermencita Rodriguez.

Aside from the report in Dumaguete, nearby municipalities, including Sta. Catalina town, also reported that ducks have been hit by a disease.

The Garcia family at first thought it was a common disease dubbed as “gi-atay” or “gidungoy” in the vernacular, but they suspected it could be another kind of disease, thus they submitted the rest of their chickens for laboratory tests.

Tundag and Socorro explained the cloacal swab and blood samples were taken from the fowls to determine the cause of their deaths. Tundag said flu among chickens these days is a common disease including the new castle disease. They can be considered as suspect for avian flu while waiting for the results of the samples

After collecting swab and blood samples of native chickens owned by Rodriguez, it was agreed to dislocate the chickens and buried these with disinfectants to break the cycle of the virus that maybe found in the body and stop the spread to other animals.

Socorro also said most poultry diseases would manifest almost the same signs as in respiratory troubles, swelling of chicken’s face while their comb and wattle are discolored or have turned blue, coupled with breathing problems, and discharges from their nose or mouth. Their eyes will begin to look murky also and, for the hens, they will stop laying, she added.

In the case of a Newcastle disease, it is common that the bird’s legs and wings will become paralyzed and their necks twisted.

Mayor Felipe Remollo, for his part, said there should not be undue alarm to the public, and he urged backyard chicken raisers in the city to cooperate with authorities to preserve the poultry industry by submitting their fowls to tests, and subsequent solutions to avoid possible spread of the disease. (FREEMAN)