Avian flu hits Davao del Sur town infecting ducks, DA confirms

DIGOS CITY – Agriculture authorities have confirmed a bird flu infection among ducks in a village of Magsaysay town of Davao del Sur on Monday, April 4.

Helen Carampatana, the municipal agriculturist of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur who conducted blood samplings among infected fowls on March 9 received word that the blood samples from ducks in Barangay San Isidro proved positive for the dreaded Avian Influenza (AI) also known as H5N1 or bird flu, according to Anthony Allada, Magsaysay town information officer.

Carampatana went back to the village on April 2 to gather fowls suspected for the bird flu infection to cull them. As a result, a total of 3,008 ducks were culled and were properly disposed of to prevent the spread of the disease.

The ducks reportedly came from the town of President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao province, according to Allada.

Magsaysay town Mayor Arthur Davin immediately ordered a close watch on all borders, and the monitoring of movements of domestic and wild birds going out of the town. He also activated the required quarantine procedures in the town’s borders to stop the spread of the infection.

It was not clear yet if the Department of Agriculture (DA-11) would compensate duck raisers whose fowls were among those culled.

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JPV