ILOILO City – It was in Barangay Cagay, Roxas City where Western Visayas’ first confirmed case of avian influenza or bird flu was logged in December 2022.
Since March, weekly monitoring and blood sampling were done on fowls. All the tests yielded negative results, said Dr. Jonic Natividad, chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6’s Regulatory Division.
Now, DA-6 is seeking an official declaration from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) that Western Visayas is indeed free from bird flu. Together with the provincial government of Capiz and city government of Roxas, it is consolidating the requirements.
Local chief executives submit a letter of intent to DA-6 director Jose Albert Barrogo for endorsement to BAI, along with the requirements such as disease control measures done – stamping out, cleaning and disinfection, as well as the negative results of the blood sampling tests conducted.
Natividad said it was in March when repopulation of the affected farm, using 30 chicken heads donated by an association of poultry operators, was carried out.
Surveillance was also conducted within one to 10-kilometer radius from the infected farm and still, all blood samplings came out negative for bird flu.
“Didto nakita nga wala man siya naglapta,” said Natividad. He said this also showed that the infection really came from sickly birds, the RTL (ready-to-lay) delivered to the farm owner in Roxas City from Luzon.
DA-6 is hopeful that by June this year Western Visayas would have been declared a bird flu-free region.
Natividad said such declaration will give way to some pending fowl and poultry shipments to Negros Occidental from Panay Island.
Though the region has no more confirmed cases of bird flu, DA-6 still appeals to those who are into poultry farming/raising to avoid procuring birds from Luzon.
Migratory birds, biosecurity
The DA-6 reiterated its warning against migratory birds and other waterfowls such as ducks and geese that are possible carriers of bird flu.
Based on the region’s Avian Influenza Preparedness Manual, the marshland areas in the region identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 to have sightings of migratory birds are Sipalay City, Negros Occidental; towns of Ajuy, Concepcion and Estancia in Iloilo; and Sibalom, Antique.
Regular blood sampling of migratory birds has been done for these areas.
Natividad, however, said the testing is not limited to these areas. Other local government units, like Dumangas town in Iloilo for instance, are open to request for blood sampling if they have sightings of migratory birds in their areas.
Natividad explained that the conduct of regular sampling for migratory birds is a commitment to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) especially that bird flu is notifiable disease.
Meanwhile, aside from migratory birds and waterfowls, blood sampling is also being done on live bird markets or bagsakan of native chicken such as in the cities of Kabankalan and Sipalay in Negros Occidental.
What should be done when you have poultry farm or backyard farm of native chickens and other kinds of birds?
“Kon may mga water animals especially waterfowls nga naga-contact sa mga water land, kon pwede i-avoid naton sila. The possibility of spreading the disease ara gihapon,” said Natividad.
He further discouraged the public from handling wild birds especially killing them because it is prohibited. He added the right thing to do is to shoo them away.
Natividad also cited the importance of having strong biosecurity.
He stressed that the government through the DA have programs against bird flu and that the best defense is on the ground particularly on the farm owners.
“It is up to them now to help the government through establishing good biosecurity methods like foot bath, hand washing, regular disinfection, early reporting kon may nagkalamatay, pangudal sila mayo, no stray animals and limit/regulate the entrance of visitors sa inyo nga farm. Sa amo na nga bagay ma-prevent, ma-mitigate naton pagsulod sang balatian,” Natividad emphasized./PN
