TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 14 – In the midst of bird flu
virus outbreak in Pampanga province, the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional
office here is activating its Regional Avian Influenza Protection Program Task
Force to conduct surveillance and monitoring activities.
“The group will also regularly check prices of
poultry commodities in the region,” said Andrew Rodolfo T. Orais, DA Eastern
Visayas regional technical director for operations.
Orais echoed the announcement of temporary ban on
movement and transfer of live domestic and wild birds and their products and
by- products from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao regions in coordination
with the Veterinary Quarantine personnel.
As of press time, there has been no report of bird
to human contamination here.
Malacañang released a statement on the outbreak in
Pampanga and asked the citizenry to remain calm, but be extra vigilant.
Heightened surveillance is in effect for
flu-like symptoms in Pampanga within the 7-km radius of the affected farms in
San Luis, Pampanga.
The agency is conducting series of meetings with
regional veterinarians here and getting updates and situationers and
instructions from the regional office, Orais said.
This week, the Regional Advisory Committee on
Animal Disease Control and Emergency will convene to further discuss
activities on the Avian Influenza Protection Program.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol asked the
public to help contain the bird flu virus.
“I am calling on all Filipinos to please help
government contain this crisis by cleaning up their farms and closely
monitoring their chicken for any signs of disease,” Piñol said in a statement
posted on social media. (Vicky C.
Arnaiaz/PNA)
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