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Bataan now free from bird flu: DA

By Zorayda Tecson

November 15, 2022, 5:38 pm

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The province of Bataan is now free from the avian influenza or bird flu, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a memorandum circular released by the DA-Central Luzon on Tuesday, Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban declared on Monday the freedom of the province of Bataan from the contagious avian disease.

Panganiban said Bataan was declared bird flu-free following the joint efforts of the local government units, DA Regional Field Office, and Bureau of Animal Industry in applying effective disease control measures such as stamping out, cleaning and disinfection, and other quarantine activities.

“The risk of further spread from infected premises was effected without delay and more than 40 days have elapsed since the end of the cleanup and disinfection operations and surveillance has been carried out in accordance with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Animal Health Code and the Agriculture's Avian Influenza Protection Program (AIPP) with the province of Bataan yielding negative avian influenza tests results,” Panganiban said in the memorandum.

Bataan was affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 in March this year after a backyard mallard duck farm tested positive for the virus.

Upon detection of the disease, Panganiban said the local government of Bataan in coordination with DA Regional Field Office III and the BAI, conducted disease investigation, immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions, and surveillance in the affected premises.

He said the results of subsequent disease monitoring in the one-kilometer and seven-kilometer surveillance zones surrounding the affected farms yielded negative results for influenza type A virus.

He added that the last HPAI H5N1 laboratory detection in Bataan was on March 22, this year. (PNA)

 

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