PH bans poultry imports from 3 US states due to bird flu

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has banned the importation of domestic and wild birds along with their poultry products from three American states due to outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 strain.

In a statement on Friday, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued Memorandum Order 14 on March 4, directing the temporary import ban for birds and poultry coming from Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The trade restrictions apply to all domestic and wild birds, including poultry meat, eggs, day-old chicks, semen, and other related products from the said areas.

The order aims to protect the health of the local poultry population which creates jobs, generates investments, and is essential in ensuring food security, according to the Agriculture Department.

“According to the memorandum, several outbreaks of the H5N1 strain were reported in these states as of February 20, confirmed by US veterinary authorities,” it said.

For his part, Tiu Laurel said that “the rapid spread of the virus necessitated the wider coverage of trade restrictions to prevent its entry into the Philippines.”

The import ban order also mandated the suspension of processing, evaluation, and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances for these commodities.

The DA, however, said that shipments already in transit, loaded, or accepted before the official communication of the ban may be allowed, provided that the products were slaughtered or produced at least 14 days prior to the first outbreak in each state.

“For Indiana, the first outbreak occurred on January 3, in Jay County; for New York, it was on January 17, in Suffolk County; and for Pennsylvania, it was on February 4, in Dauphin County,” the Agriculture Department said.

“Shipments that do not meet these conditions will be stopped and confiscated by veterinary quarantine officers at major ports of entry,” it said.

The import ban is effective immediately and will remain in place unless revoked in writing, according to the DA. —Ted Cordero/ VAL, GMA Integrated News