THE CITY Veterinarian’s Office and the Department of Agriculture are enforcing stricter quarantine measures in all entry points to prevent the contamination of avian influenza or bird flu.
Dr. Cerelyn Pinili, the head of the City Veterinarian’s Office in an interview with the City Disaster Radio on Wednesday, said that stricter measures are implemented in light of the outbreak of bird flu in Luzon and nearby Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat.
Pinili said that the Bureau of Animal Industry last month detected cases of avian influenza in Baliwag, Bulacan, and recorded a similar outbreak in Candaba and Mexico Pampanga in Luzon. On March 10, the agency confirmed another outbreak in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat where 1,000 ducks have already been culled.
“Kung sa poultry taas ang mortality, kung magkasakit ang manok naa sa 80 to 90 percent ang mortality. Actually, karon bird to bird ta, poultry to poultry pero ang case karon sa Luzon and sa Tacurong is naa lang siya sa duck ug quails wala siya sa atoang mga manok (The mortality in poultry is high and once chickens are affected, it would mean 80 to 90 percent mortality. Actually, 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) ” Pinili said, adding, humans can be affected by the virus and may experience cold-like symptoms.
“Sa tao naay treatment pero sa manok wala. Mao na naga-resort gyud ta sa depopulation, og kung mukalat mukalat gyud (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.
She said that while the city has no recorded case of avian influenza, it is doing its best to ensure that the virus won’t enter its borders by placing veterinary checkpoints in Lasang, Davao del Norte, Lacson in Calinan, between Arakan and Marilog, and in Sirawan, Toril District.
“Gina-intensify namo ang surveillance sa critical areas sa Davao sa Talomo, Tugbok and Calinan, kay naa diri ang dako nga population sa poultry (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.
Pinili said that the DA issued a Memorandum Circular No. 6 which mandates that the transfer of live birds from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao is temporarily suspended for 30 days. Pinili said they are asking for the patience of shippers of poultry products on the tedious process of checking documents upon entry to the city.
“Davao City is avian-free and naghangyo ko kadtong sa atoang barangay kung aduna mo’y mamatikadan nga nangamatay nga manok ug nagkasakit na manok sa inyong area paki-report sa City Veterinarian’s Office or tawag sa 225-0511 (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),” she said.
