The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban it imposed on birds and poultry shipments from three countries previously affected by bird flu outbreaks.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Orders (MOs), which allowed the entry of poultry imports, including birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from Argentina, Turkey, and Romania.
The DA lifted the ban after veterinary authorities in the said countries reported zero new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
In particular, MO 63 and MO 65 indicated that the reported case of HPAI ended with a resolved status and no additional outbreaks.
‘Based on the evaluation of the DA, the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen is negligible,’ the orders read.
‘Nonetheless, all import transactions of the above commodities slaughtered/produced after the issuance of this order may commence again in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the DA.’
Meanwhile, MO 64 specifically lifted the temporary ban slapped on the importation of domestic and wild birds from Romania.
‘Based on the evaluation of the DA, the risk of contamination from importing live birds [domestic and wild, specifically for the purpose of pet, zoo, etc.] is negligible,’ the agency said.
The DA then noted that every import transaction of live birds from Romania should be in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the agency.
Temporary ban
Meanwhile, the DA slapped a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle and water buffalo, along with their embryos, semen, and raw hides from Spain due to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in the region of Cataluña.
The DA chief said the move is a precautionary measure to prevent the entry of the virus into the country and ‘to protect the health of the local cattle and water buffalo population.’
The DA said it decided to impose the ban following an official report from Spanish veterinary authorities to WOAH, which confirmed the outbreak in domestic cattle on October 1.
Despite this, the agency specified that low-risk commodities, like processed products, would still be allowed, provided that these were supported with veterinary certification.
Such products include milk and dairy products, skeletal muscle meat, gelatin, collagen, tallow, casings, hooves, horns, processed hides, and blood-derived meat products.
LSD is a contagious viral disease that mainly affects cattle. Infected animals may suffer from skin lesions, reduced weight and milk production, infertility, and damaged hides.
Though the disease has a relatively low mortality rate, severe cases can still result in death.