The Philippines has imposed a temporary ban on poultry imports from California, Hungary and Japan due to outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
In imposing the temporary ban, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said there is a need to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of the local poultry population.
The importation ban covers domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen.
The DA also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance to the commodities from California, Hungary and Japan.
In Memorandum Order (MO) 69, the DA said the Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) last November 1 that there were outbreaks of HPAI virus in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture and Atsuma Town, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan affecting domestic birds as confirmed by the Livestock Hygiene Service Centre.
“All shipments coming from Japan that are in transit/loaded/accepted unto port before the official communication of this Order to the Japanese authorities shall be allowed provided that the products were slaughtered/produced on or before October 12, 2022,” MO 69 read.
In MO 70, the DA said a report from the Food Chain Safety Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Budapest, Hungary to the WOAH last November 4 showed that there were outbreaks of HPAI virus in Kiskunmajsa and Bugac, Bacs-Kiskun, Hungary affecting domestic birds as confirmed by the Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate of the National Food Chain Safety Office.
“All shipments coming from Hungary that are in transit/loaded/accepted unto port before the official communication of this Order to the Hungarian authorities shall be allowed provided that the products were slaughtered/produced on or before October 19, 2022,” MO 70 added.
In MO 71, the DA said based on the official report submitted by the Deputy Administrator and Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, United States Department of Agriculture to WOAH last August 2022 there were additional outbreaks of HPAI in California, affecting domestic birds as confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
“All shipments coming from the mentioned areas of the United States of America that are transit/loaded/accepted unto port before the official communication of this Order to the American authorities shall be allowed provided that the products were slaughtered/produced on or before August 4, 2022,” MO 71 read.
The memorandum said the rapid spread of H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza in the United States of America in a short period of time since its first laboratory detection necessitates a wider coverage of trade restriction to prevent the entry of HPAI virus and protect the health of the local poultry population.
HPAI-free areas
Meanwhile, the DA lifted its temporary import ban on poultry products from Nova Scotia, Canada and Poland after these areas regained their HPAI-free status.
In two separate memorandums, the DA said based on the final reports submitted by their respective veterinary authorities to WOAH, the HPAI events in Poland and Nova Scotia, Canada are now “closed and resolved.”
Based on the evaluation of the DA, the risk of contamination from importing poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen is negligible.
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