QUEZON CITY (PIA) - In a memorandum circular issued on 04 January 2023, the Department of Agriculture (DA) declared the province of Rizal free from avian influenza in poultry.
From June to July 2022, the Municipality of Rodriguez recorded three (3) confirmed cases of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Subtype H5N1.
The HPAI H5 virus causes high mortality in poultry as it fastly infects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of birds.
The local government unit (LGU), in coordination with the DA Regional Field Office and the DA Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), conducted disease control measures such as stamping out, depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, and other quarantine activities following the Avian Influenza Protection (AIPP) guidelines.
A minimum period of 28 days after completion of the stamping-out policy, disinfection of the last affected establishment, and consequent surveillance demonstrating the absence of infection shall be done for a country or zone to reinstate its status as free from Avian Influenza, following the Article 10.4.6 of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2021).
After more than 40 days, the province of Rizal yielded negative AI test results following the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code and AIPP. (BSF/PIA-PMD)
