DA bans poultry from California, Ohio

MANILA, Philippines —  The Department of Agriculture (DA) has banned imported poultry products from California and Ohio in the US amid the outbreak of avian flu.

“The rapid spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States in a short period of time since its first laboratory detection necessitates a wider coverage of trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local poultry populations,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

Domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen from California and Ohio are prohibited from entering the Philippines, according to Memorandum Order 3 issued by Laurel.

The DA chief recalled that a mutual HPAI-related agreement in 2016 declared that a statewide ban shall be imposed if there are three or more counties affected by HPAI in one state.

“The states have three or more counties affected with HPAI as reflected in their official reports on the WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health),” he said.

Laurel ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances from the affected states.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said bird flu spreads among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.

Bird flu viruses, it said, do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with avian influenza viruses have occurred.