Ilocos Norte tightens watch on bird flu
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LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — This province has intensified its monitoring and disinfection of farms following the detection of bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza type A, last month.
In an advisory on Thursday (November 3), the provincial government said authorities from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 1 (DA-RFO1), together with the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, were leading the disinfection and surveillance, and the collection of samples in the affected areas.
“Observe biosecurity as far as practicable,” the provincial government said as it advised the public to observe precautions against the spread of the virus.
Free-range chicken, ducks, quail, and other birds should not be on the loose, and poultry must be placed in net enclosures, it cautioned.
Farmers were also asked to immediately report poultry mortality to their local veterinarians.
Those whose poultry farms are within the one-kilometer radius under surveillance have been asked to refrain from participating in cockfighting activities, the provincial government said.
On October 29, authorities said bird flu was detected among free-range chickens after they were distributed by the DA-RFO1 to beneficiaries of the Balik Probinsya 2 Program in the province on October 20. INQ
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