DA bans fowl from Taiwan

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of poultry meat products as well as domestic and wild birds from Taiwan.

The ban was issued after Ping-Cheng Yang, director of the Animal Technology Institute Taiwan, reported an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI).

Reports said that the LPAI serotype H5N3 was isolated from a duck farm in the town of Yuli, Hua-lien on July 16. The presence of the virus was confirmed on Aug. 2.

To protect the local poultry population, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala immediately ordered a freeze on imports of domestic and wild birds, including day-old chicks, from Taiwan.

Alcala also suspended the processing and issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearance for the import of these commodities. He instructed veterinary inspectors at all major ports to stop the entry into the country of poultry meat products from Taiwan.

Avian influenza is categorized into high and low pathogenicity.

The last bird flu outbreak in Taiwan was in December 2012.