Benguet declared bird flu-free — DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday announced that Benguet is now free from avian influenza or bird flu, nearly two years after the outbreak was declared in the province.

In a statement, the DA said that negative results for H5N1 strain infections of various birds led to the declaration of Benguet as free from avian influenza.

Previous cases of the H5N1 strain infections were detected in various fowls, including layer and native chickens, ducks, turkey, and goose. These were recorded between February 2022 and September 2022 in the City of Baguio and the towns of Atok, Buguias, Itogon, La Trinidad, Sablan, and Tublay.

In response, the DA said immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, mobility restrictions, stricter biosecurity, and surveillance in areas surrounding the affected farms were implemented.

Subsequent tests yielded negative results for the H5N1 strain on birds.

The DA said, after Benguet has been declared as bird flu-free, the number of provinces listed by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) with confirmed cases and have yet to recover their avian influenza-free status has gone down to nine.

In a message to GMA News Online, the BAI said the nine remaining provinces were Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Sultan Kudarat, Kalinga, Cagayan, and Bataan.

Meanwhile, the DA said there has been no reported cases of avian influenza since the start of 2024. — VDV, GMA Integrated News