Provinces still affected by bird flu down to 9

Only nine provinces have yet to fully recover from the effects of bird flu, down from 10 provinces in six regions, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

The bureau identified the nine provinces as Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Sultan Kudarat, Kalinga, Cagayan and Bataan based on its tally as of Feb. 9.

The BAI said it detected a case of avian flu at a commercial duck farm in Bulacan province although it added that this would have little to no effect on other fowls.

So far, 15 provinces have been declared free from the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), with Benguet the most recent to eradicate the disease. The others are Camarines Sur, Davao del Sur, Rizal, South Cotabato, Ilocos Sur, Batangas, Capiz, Quezon, Aurora, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Cotabato, Isabela and Maguindanao del Sur.

READ: Benguet shakes off fowl disease

The Department of Agriculture added Benguet to the list of bird flu-free provinces after the latest tests yielded negative results more than 90 days since the completion of cleaning and disinfection operations, and a monitoring period covering poultry farms.

Global guidelines

Before this, the province logged 11 confirmed cases of HPAI subtype H5N1 in Baguio City and the towns of Atok, Buguias, Itogon, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tublay in 2022.

Based on the World Organization for Animal Health’s (WOAH) terrestrial animal health code, a previously uninfected country or zone may regain its bird flu-free status at least 28 days after completing a stamping-out policy and disinfecting the last affected establishment. A subsequent monitoring period should also show no new infections.

Using the WOAH rules, the BAI issued Memorandum Circular No. 25 in 2022 outlining the procedures for declaring previously infected provinces free of the virus. INQ