The Department of Agriculture (DA) has cleared Ilocos Sur from avian influenza.
The decision was made through Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 18 series of 2023 signed by Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban on May 5.
Ilocos Sur recorded eight confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 which were confirmed through laboratory testing last October and November affecting chicken layers, native chickens and ducks
Upon the detection of the disease, DA said the provincial government of Ilocos Sur and the municipality of Sta. Maria, in coordination with DA regional field office Ilocos and the Bureau of Animal Industry, conducted disease investigation, immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions and surveillance in the affected premises following the Avian Influenza Protection Program guidelines.
DA said continued disease monitoring and surveillance surrounding the affected farms yielded negative test results for influenza type A virus for more than 90 days which led to the issuance of the MC.
Prior to Ilocos Sur, DA also declared Rizal province, Quezon province and South Cotabato as avian influenza free, earlier this year.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, last year, Ilocos Sur produced a total of 4,207,218 heads of slaughtered chicken, equivalent to 0.35 percent of the country’s total of 1,196,972,262 slaughtered chicken heads for the period.
The province provided 43,942 slaughtered duck heads for 2022 or 0.32 percent of the total 13,662,813 for the year. -Jed Macapagal
