Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has declared the province of Camarines Sur free from avian influenza, five months after the last case of the highly pathogenic H5N9 virus was recorded.
The declaration, signed on Wednesday, follows a province-wide disease control and surveillance campaign. The last case was detected in April 2025 at a backyard duck farm in Camaligan.
Local governments, working with the DA and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), enforced containment measures including the culling of infected flocks, disinfection, movement restrictions, and surveillance. No new infections were found during follow-up monitoring in the surrounding areas.
Tiu Laurel said the declaration adheres to World Organization for Animal Health standards, which allow an area to regain its bird flu-free status 28 days after stamping out and disinfection, provided no new cases are detected during surveillance. He added the clearance would be withdrawn if new infections arise.
Camarines Sur, which is not a top poultry producer in the country, reported cases of H5N1 in 2022.
