Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 29) — The Department of Agriculture has confirmed a case of bird flu in an egg farm in San Luis, Pampanga.
The department’s Bureau of Animal Industry said it detected a highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, strain, specifically A(H5N6), in the poultry layer or egg-producing farm.
DA-BAI director Ronnie Domingo said in a statement Wednesday that field investigation showed that the presence of migratory birds in San Luis, Pampanga has been associated with bird flu outbreaks.
According to Domingo, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has identified 117 important bird areas in the country, with about 150,000 migratory birds nesting and breeding annually in Central Luzon.
However, the director noted that bird flu has not been detected among broilers or the primary source of poultry meat.
The DA-BAI is now in cooperation with the DA Central Luzon regional field office, the local government, and the provincial veterinary office of Pampanga to implement an integrated disease control approach to stop the spread of bird flu in the area.
“The team humanely culled a total of 38,701 head of layers and disposed of them properly, employing the protocols under the Avian Influenza Protection Program of the Philippine Government,” said Domingo.
According to the DA-BAI, poultry raisers in Central Luzon should protect and shield their farms from the entry of migratory birds and immediately report unusual poultry mortalities.
