Maguindanao del Sur, Isabela declared free from avian flu

A total of 14 provinces have fully recovered from bird flu after the Department of Agriculture (DA) declared that Maguindanao del Sur and Isabela are now free of avian influenza.

The DA made the declaration in separate issuances many months after local authorities reported bird flu outbreaks in the two provinces.

According to the DA, latest tests yielded negative results more than 90 days since the end of cleaning and disinfection operations and surveillance activities.

Prior to this, the agency said these provinces had fully recovered from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): Camarines Sur; Davao del Sur; Rizal; South Cotabato; Ilocos Sur; Batangas; Capiz; Quezon; Aurora; Ilocos Norte; Pangasinan; and Cotabato.

The World Organization for Animal Health’s terrestrial animal health code states a previously free country or zone may regain its avian influenza-free status at least 28 days after completing a stamping-out policy and disinfecting the last affected establishment, and that ensuing surveillance demonstrated the absence of infection.

Earlier, Maguindanao del Sur recorded three confirmed cases of HPAI subtype H5N1. These were detected in ducks from the municipality of Ampatuan on April 8 and May 27, 2022.

On the other hand, Isabela had three confirmed cases of HPAI subtype H5N1 detected in chicken layer, duck, gamefowl, pigeon and native chicken from Cauayan City and towns of Alicia and Gamu on April 21, May 23 and Nov. 7 last year.

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Immediately, the provincial governments of Maguindanao del Sur and Isabela, in coordination with the DA’s regional field offices and the Bureau of Animal Industry, conducted disease investigation, immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions and surveillance in the affected areas.

Continued disease monitoring and surveillance in the 1-kilometer and 7-km surveillance zones surrounding the affected farms yielded negative test results for influenza type A virus.

Even before confirming the first case of H5N1 in these areas, Maguindanao del Sur and Isabela had been free from avian influenza in poultry. INQ