Slaughter of 200k bird flu-affected chickens in Pampanga begins

The mass slaughter of thousands of chickens believed infected by avian flu in several poultry farms in Pampanga will start this Sunday, an official of the Bureau of Animal Industry said. 

Arlene Vytiaco, head of the Bureau Animal Industry-disease Control Section of  Animal Health and Welfare Division, told dzBB that some 200,000 chickens from six affected farms and two other poultry houses within the 1km-radius of the quarantine area will be slaughtered. 

Vytiaco: Sa ating policy, lahat ng poultry species na napapaloob sa 1-km quarantine area, may sakit man o wala ay kakatayin.

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 12, 2017

She said that the culling and depopulation process is hoped to be accomplished in three to four days through carbon dioxide suffocation (or gas chamber).

Also, she said that the process should be carefully done to make sure that the spread of the virus affecting farmed fowls could be controlled fastest.

She allayed fears of the bird flu strain affecting humans, saying that the virus cannot be contracted by eating cooked chicken and that all eggs and fowl meat supply in the markets at present are clean and safe.

Vytiaco: Lahat ng mga manok at itlog na nasa market ngayon, galing sila clean areas na hindi apektado kaya safe kumain ng manok.

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 12, 2017

Citing information from the Department of Health (DOH), she said that there is no report yet of humans infected by the virus.

Vytiaco: Wala pang tao na nahahawahan ng (bird flu) virus.

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 12, 2017

Malacañang on Saturday said that it is closely monitoring the situation in Pampanga.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella also said that the DOH is assisting the Department of Agriculture (DA) in efforts to contain the virus.

"We ask our people to remain calm yet vigilant.  Any person living or residing in affected areas or who had been exposed to dead chickens who become sick with flu or flu-like illness, such as fever, or sore throat, or cough should immediately report to their local health center or nearest hospital for laboratory test," Abella said.

Pampanga has been placed in a state of calamity due to the outbreak in San Luis town. —LBG, GMA News