DAVAO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has ordered the temporary ban on the importation of domesticated and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen from California, USA to protect the health of the local livestock population and food safety in the country.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported to the Office of International des Epizooties (OIE) that there has been an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus in Stanislaus County in California.
“We have been closely monitoring advisories from the OIE since we want to proactively protect the integrity of our poultry products as avian flu-free,” DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said.
The OIE is an inter-governmental organization that, among others, has functions of informing governments of the occurrence of animal diseases and of ways to control these diseases, of coordinating studies devoted to the surveillance and control of animal diseases and of harmonizing regulations to facilitate trade in animals and animal products.
The USDA-APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed increased mortality affecting a commercial turkey farm in said county.
Among the emergency measures set is the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Import Clearance to import the aforementioned commodities from said location; and stoppage and confiscation of all shipments of aforementioned commodities from said locations, except heat-treated products.
