ILOILO City – The province of Capiz has been officially declared free from avian influenza (AI), commonly known as bird flu, by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
With this, technically, the whole region is now and again free from the said virus, according to Dr. Jonic Natividad, regulatory chief of DA Region 6.
Bird flu is a highly contagious viral disease caused by any influenza virus affecting several species of food-producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds.
DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban issued Memorandum Circular No. 27-2023 dated July 4, 2023 certifying there were no more cases in Capiz.
“Continued disease monitoring and surveillance in the one-kilometer and seven-kilometer surveillance zones surrounding the affected farms yielded negative test results for influenza type A virus,” read part of Panganiban’s memorandum.
Capiz, particularly Barangay Cagay, Roxas City, logged one laboratory-confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Subtype H5N1 on Dec. 2, 2022. The disease did not spread elsewhere in the region.
In declaring Capiz bird flu-free, Panganiban noted that more than 90 days have elapsed since the end of the cleaning and disinfection operations and that surveillance activities yielded negative AI test results.
There are lots of strains of bird flu virus. The same strain, the H5N1, has been first detected in duck and quail farms in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces, respectively, in January this year.
Meanwhile, Panganiban also cited Article 10.4.6. of the World Organisation for c Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2022) which provides that the avian influenza-free status of a previously free country or zone may be regained after a minimum period of 28 days after a stamping out policy has been completed, disinfection of the last affected establishment was carried out, and that consequent surveillance demonstrated the absence of infection.
Panganiban acknowledged the joint efforts of the local government unit, DA-6 and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) for applying effective disease control measures such as stamping out, cleaning and disinfection operations, biosecurity and other quarantine activities, and the risk of further spread from infected premises were effected without delay.
Natividad earlier shared that it was in March this year 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.
Though the region has no more confirmed cases of bird flu, DA-6 still reiterated its appeal to those who are into poultry farming/raising to avoid procuring birds from Luzon.
Natividad said vigilance and cooperation of all stakeholders is encouraged to retain the region’s bird flu-free status.
He also assured that the DA-6, local government units and poultry stakeholders will continue to monitor and prevent any occurrence of such disease./PN
