QUEZON CITY — Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Friday ordered the lifting of the import ban on wild and domestic birds and their by-products from the Czech Republic following the declaration that the European country has resolved the avian influenza outbreak.
The DA imposed a temporary ban on import of wild and domestic birds from the Czech Republic, including poultry meat, eggs, day-old chicks and semen, in March due an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.
According to a recent report by Czech Republic to the World Organization for Animal Health, all bird flu infections have been resolved and no additional outbreak has been reported since May 8.
“With all the technical information and documents submitted by their veterinary authorities, the DA is lifting the suspension imposed on Czech Republic thus any trade from this country may commence again,” Sec. Tiu Laurel said in a memorandum order No.30.
Avian flu is a notifiable disease, which means any outbreak of certain diseases must be reported by a country’s veterinary authority to the WOAH.
The DA imposes ban on importation of birds and their by-products on countries where THERE are reported outbreak of bird flu to prevent contagion on local poultry, a multi-billion-peso industry that employed thousands of Filipinos and is a key component of the government’s food security goal. (DA)
