Dr. Cerelyn Pinili, the head of the City Veterinarian's Office in a report from the City Information Office (CIO) said the stricter measures are imposed in light of the outbreak of bird flu in Luzon and nearby Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.
Pinili clarified the city has no recorded case of avian influenza, however, it is best to ensure that the virus will not enter the city by placing veterinary checkpoints in Lasang, Davao del Norte, Lacson Calinan, between Arakan and Marilog, and in Sirawan.
“Davao City is Avian-Free and we are requesting people in the barangays if you observe cases of sick or dying chickens you may report to the City Veterinarian’s Office or call 225-0511,” Pinili said.
Last month, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) detected cases of Avian Influenza in Baliwag, Bulacan and recorded a similar outbreak in Candaba and Mexico Pampanga in Luzon, she said.
On March 10, the BAI confirmed another outbreak in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat wherein 1,000 ducks have already been culled.
“The mortality in poultry is high and once chickens are affected, it would mean 80 to 90 percent mortality,” she said.
She said the transmission now is bird-to-bird, poultry-to-poultry, but the cases in Luzon and Tacurong only ducks and quails are affected, not the chickens, adding humans can be affected by the virus and may experience cold-like symptoms.
“There is treatment for humans but none for poultry. So that is why we would resort to de-population, if not it will really spread,” Pinili said.
“We are intensifying the surveillance in critical areas in Davao - Talomo, Tugbok, and Calinan because these are where the huge population of poultry is located,” Pinili said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) issued a Memorandum Circular No. 6 which mandates the transfer of live birds from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao is temporarily suspended for 30 days.
Pinili had asked shippers of poultry products to be patient about the tedious process of checking documents upon entry of poultry in the city.
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