Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has declared Camarines Norte free from avian influenza (AI), following the successful containment of the highly infectious disease in the area.
He said in a statement on Wednesday this is a result of prompt action by local government units and agencies under the DA 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.
The DA said among measures implemented were immediate depopulation of the affected farm, thorough cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions as well as enhanced surveillance.
Following such actions, the DA said surveillance within a 1- and 7-kilometer radius around the affected area yielded no new bird flu infections, with all tests returning negative results for the virus.
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 AI-free status, said Tiu Laurel in a memorandum circular.
Prior to this case, Camarines Norte maintained a clean record regarding AI, the DA noted.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country had a total chicken inventory of 206,374,474 birds as of January 1, 2025, of which
723,980 or 0.35 percent was in Camarines Norte.
The country’s total duck inventory was 13,926,642 birds as of January 1, with Camarines Norte accounting for 14,965 birds equivalent to 0.1 percent.
Latest Bureau of Animal Industry data showed that the remaining areas affected by AI are Kalinga and Benguet in the Cordillera Administrative Region; Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bataan and Bulacan in Central Luzon; Laguna in Calabarzon; and Manila City in the National Capital Region.
