6 days Ago
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has declared Camarines Norte as avian influenza-free, nearly three months after the detection of bird flu in the southern Luzon province. In a statement on Wednesday, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.
has officially declared Camarines Norte as bird flu-free following the successful containment of a highly infectious disease as a result of prompt action by local government units and agencies of the Department of Agriculture. The avian influenza-free declaration came a few months after a single case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N2 was confirmed last December in a backyard duck farm in the Municipality of Talisay. Prior to the “isolated case,” the province had maintained a clean record regarding avian influenza, according to the Agriculture Department.
The DA said the Camarines Norte LGU, in coordination with the municipal government, the DA Regional Field Office V, and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), swiftly implemented a comprehensive control strategy. “This included immediate depopulation of the affected farm, thorough cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions, and enhanced surveillance—measures all in line with the Avian Influenza Protection Program (AIPP) guidelines,” it said. “Following these actions, surveillance within a one-kilometer and seven-kilometer radius around the affected area yielded no new bird flu infections, with all tests returning negative results for the virus,”it added.
In Memorandum Circular 06, Tiu Laurel said that, after 28 days without new cases following the stamping-out policy and disinfection, Camarines Norte has met the World Organization for Animal Health’s criteria to regain its avian influenza-free status. --VAL, GMA Integrated News.
