The Department of Agriculture (DA) is imposing a temporary ban on all imports of domestic and wild birds, along with poultry and its products, from Denmark following findings of avian influenza (AI) or bird flu virus in that country.
The temporary ban and other emergency measures are necessary to protect human health and the P60 billion poultry industry in the Philippines which has remained free of bird flu ever since the H5N1 strain of this virus first resurfaced in Asia in 2003.
The ban covers all "domestic and wild birds and their products, including day old chicks, eggs and semen."
The DA issued the ban after the office International des Epizooties (OIE) or the Animal Health Organization confirmed that low pathogenic AI has been detected in a poultry farm in Strentrup, Svendborg, Kommune, South Denmark.
The AI virus has been reportedly affected geese, chickens, ducks and mallards.
DA quarantine offices and inspectors at all major airports and seaports have been ordered to stop and confiscate all incoming shipments of live birds, poultry and poultry products coming from Denmark.
The DA suspended the issuance of veterinary quarantine clearances (VQCs) to all imports covering birds and poultry products from Denmark.
Besides Denmark, the Philippines currently bans imports of birds, poultry and its products from Korea, Saudi Arabia, Poland and the western African coun try of Benin.
The Philippines is one of the only three AI-free countries in Southeast Asia.
The two others are Brunei and Singapore.
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