The Philippine government imposed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products from British Columbia, Canada.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Memorandum Order 97, which imposed the temporary ban on poultry imports from British Columbia.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the government issued the directive following the Canadian government’s confirmation of an outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in Chilliwack and Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada. Ottawa confirmed this in its report to the OFfice Internationale Des Epizooties (OIE).
“The ban is being imposed to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of the public and the local poultry population,” Alcala said in his memorandum order.
With the ban in place, the DA will suspend the processing and issuance of import clearance for poultry products from British Columbia, Canada.
The DA will also stop and confiscate all shipments of poultry products from the area.
The ban, however, does not cover poultry products that have been heat treated and poultry meat with slaughter/production date before October 31, 2014.
The DA noted that the outbreak in British Columbia was believed to have been caused by H5 HPAI virus affecting turkey and chicken broiler farms.
Canada and the US are two major sources of poultry meat for the Philippines.
The Philippines is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that remain free from the dreaded avian flu.
The virus had crippled poultry industries in Thailand and Vietnam after it resurfaced in Asia in 2003.