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Friday, March 29, 2024

Live poultry from three countries banned in PH

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The Agriculture Department has banned the entry of live poultry and poultry products from the Russia, Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands following reports of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in the said countries.

Agriculture Secretary Manuel Piñol issued the order after an official notice was released by the Office Internationale des Epizooties or the World Organization for Animal Health upon confirmation by the three countries’ governments.

Three different strains of the bird flu virus affected the poultry population in the said countries.

The H5N2 virus was found to have infected poultry in ZAO Pticefabrika Kostromskaya, Komstronskoy, Kostromskaya Oblast in Russia based on the report of the All Russian Research Institute for Animal Health.

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The Ministry of Environment, Health and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia monitored and confirmed the outbreak of H5N8 strain in Riyadh, Al Kharj and Al Mazahmyia in Saudi Arabia.

The third strain, the H5N6 strain was found to have affected fattening ducks in Biddinghuizen, Flevoland, Netherlands as reported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Hague, Netherlands.

Agriculture Memorandum Order No. 3, 4 and 5 effectively prohibits the entry of live poultry, gamefowls and poultry products from the Netherlands.

Poultry products banned from entry into the Philippines include poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.

The Department suspended the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance for Russian, Saudi Arabian and Dutch poultry and products as soon as the official report was received.

While it has ordered the Agriculture Veterinary Quarantine officers to stop and confiscate all shipments of the said products at all points of entry, it allowed the frozen poultry meat slaughtered 21 days prior to the outbreak to enter the Philippines subject to veterinanry quarantine rules and regulations.

Pinol cited the need to protect the health of the local poultry population as well as human population who might get infected by the bird flu disease.

The Philippines does not import live poultry or poultry products from the Netherlands but occasionally tourists bring in ornament fowl into the Philippines, a practice that may have an effect on the local poultry industry if found infected by the bird flu virus.

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