The province of Camarines Sur together with Davao Del Sur was recently declared as Avian Influenza Free province by virtue of the memorandum issued by former Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar on June 30, 2022.

It will be recalled that on Feb 20, 2022, the Department of Agriculture regional office in Bicol received reports on high poultry mortality in Bula and Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla reactivated the DA 5 Avian Influenza (AI) Task Force and in coordination with the concerned LGUs conducted disease investigation and sample collection within the 1 kilometer radius from ground zero or the affected areas.

A total of 3,091 samples were collected and submitted to the Bureau of Animal Industry. Out of these samples, two samples from Sagrada, Bula were found to be positive with AI H5N1 by the BAI. Immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions and surveillance in the affected areas were carried out by the DA Avian Influenza task force and the LGU Bula.

Monitoring and surveillance were carried out continuously and results of subsequent disease monitoring in the 1-kilometer and 7-kilometer surveillance zones in Camarines Sur yielded negative test results for Avian Influenza virus.

Dar also cited in the memo that “The World Organization of the Animal Health (WOAH), Terrestrial Animal Health Code provides that the Avian Influenza free status of previously free country or zone maybe regained after a minimum of 28 days after stamping-out policy has been completed, disinfection of the last affected establishment was carried out. Furthermore, more than 40 days have already elapsed since the end of the disinfection operations, and surveillance has been carried out and with both provinces yielding negative AI test results”. (Lovella P. Guarin | RAFIS 5)