The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on the entry of domestic and wild birds from Iowa and Minnesota, following updates that bird flu incidence in affected counties were resolved, as reported to the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said the order lifting the ban will take effect immediately and remain in force until revoked.
The DA enforced the ban in 2023 due to an outbreak of avian influenza in the two American states.
The US continues to be a major source of poultry for the Philippines with total exports of poultry meat and products reaching $180.5 million in 2023.
Meanwhile, the DA has declared Sultan Kudarat province officially free of avian influenza (AI), easing the restriction on the movement of chickens, ducks, and other poultry and poultry products within and beyond the province’s borders.
The clean bill of health came after more than 90 days of extensive cleaning, disinfection, and rigorous testing, the DA said.
The restriction period has surpassed the WOAH guidelines, ensuring a complete eradication of the bird flu threat.
Back in March 2022, Sultan Kudarat faced an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 strain of avian flu.
Cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 were first reported in the City of Tacurong and the towns of Isulan, Lebak, Lutayan and President Quirino in March 2022.
Several more reports of AI cases affecting ducks, native and layer chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls and geese from June 2022 through February 2023.
Before the first cases were reported in early 2022, Sultan Kuradat had been free of the disease that infects birds, both domestic and wild.
The DA regional office in Eastern Visayas, however, reported on Monday that it has detected cases of bird flu in Kananga, Leyte. It affected at least 60,000 chickens that were culled in a private breeder farm.
DA Eastern Visayas regional executive director Andrew Orais said the situation is now under control after all the culled chickens were buried and the farm underwent disinfection.