The local government of Zamboanga City has banned the entry of poultry and livestock products from the towns of Diplahan, Buug, and Imelda in Zamboanga Sibugay due to avian influenza or bird flu.

According to the city government, the ban was implemented after the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) confirmed that three farms in Diplahan were found to be affected by avian influenza.

Mayor Khymer Olaso has ordered the Office of the City Veterinary (OCVet), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), City Health Office, and City Legal Office, as well as the police and the Joint Task Force Zamboanga, to implement the ban and intensify the conduct of checkpoints.

An executive order was issued to formalize the ban.

Authorities said avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease caused by influenza, a virus that affects wild and domestic birds primarily.

City health officer, Dr. Dulce Miravite, said the disease is found mainly in animals but may also pose risks to humans in rare cases of exposure through some strains through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.

The city government has an existing ban on the entry of poultry and livestock products from several areas, including Titay, Ipil, Naga, R.T. Lim, Tampilisan, and Calawit in Zamboanga del Norte and Bonifacio and Tangub City in Misamis Occidental.