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Bulacan sets up quarantine checkpoints to prevent avian

flu spread
Published August 12, 2017 3:12pm

The local government of Bulacan has set up animal quarantine checkpoints in its municipalities following the
avian influenza outbreak in Pampanga.

A report in News TV Live on Saturday said local officials are coordinating with the Bulacan Police Provincial
Office and the Bulacan Provincial Veterinary Office to prevent the outbreak from spreading to the province.

Checkpoints are particularly set up in the towns of San Rafael, Baliwag, Calumpit, Pulilan, and Malolos.

A checkpoint has already been set up in San Luis, Pampanga, where the outbreak started.

Pampanga has been placed under a state of calamity due to the H5 avian flu outbreak.

A seven-kilometer quanrantine, covering San Luis and seven other municalities in Pampanga, is already
implemented to prevent the spread of the outbreak.

Some 37,000 birds have already died from the virus and a number of farms have reported a mortality rate of as
high as 100 percent. —Jessica Bartolome/ALG, GMA News

Bulacan reactivates Avian Influenza Task Force

Published August 14, 2017 10:18pm

CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan -- Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado on Monday reactivated the provincial
avian influenza task force to mitigate the effects of the bird flu virus detection in nearby San Luis town in
Pampanga.

Alvarado, the task force chairman, said he instructed the Provincial Veterinary Office headed by Dr. Voltaire
Basinang and the Bulacan Police Provincial Office headed by Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., to establish
24-hour checkpoints and ensure that transport of fowls like chickens, ducks, pigeons and quails will not enter
Bulacan so that it cannot compromise the bio-security of their poultry industry which as of this time is safe and
not affected by the avian flu case that hit San Luis,Pampanga.

Since Saturday, Alvarado said that checkpoints has been put in the towns of San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San
Rafael, Baliwag, Pulilan, Calumpit and some exits of the North Luzon Expressway.

The governor also presided an emergency meeting attended by hundreds of stakeholders of the local poultry
industry in Bulacan where Basinang instructed to monitor and immediately report any signs or detection of fowl
sickness.

“The task force is ready to deploy teams to monitor poultry farms. We are requesting our stakeholders to
religiously clean their farms and follow guidelines issued by the Provincial Veterinary Office, “ Alvarado said.

The governor said that rigid inspection of farms is needed since Bulacan has also become an “airport” of
migratory birds that has become common visitors in nearby Candaba swamp in Pampanga.

"We are regulating the industry in support of the actions of the national government and we will be strictly
monitoring the movements of the delivery and transport of all poultry products and check their point of origin
because at the same time, we do not want the industry to suffer,” Alvarado said.

“It is safe to eat the chicken, duck, eggs, "balot" and penoy that come from Bulacan. Just make sure that those
are properly cooked," he said.

He added that 60 percent of the meat, poultry and vegetable supply of Metro Manila comes from Bulacan.

Alvarado also announced that the task force will request Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol to consider the
plight of poultry raisers and egg producers whose animals are not infected with the avian flu.
He said that the Philippine Duck Raisers and Egg Managers represented by Ike Illescas reported that since
Friday, at least 500,000 duck eggs have not been sold, thus, badly affecting the duck raisers and egg
producers even if their poultry products are not infected by the avian influenza disease.

Illescas said that if this continues, it will ruin the local poultry and egg industry.

In a related development, Malolos City Mayor Christian D. Natividad said that the City Agriculture Office has
also set up checkpoints to ensure that no movement of fowls will enter the capital city.

“We have been strict even to other meats and we are regularly monitoring meat products that are entering our
markets,” Natividad said.

Natividad said they are also monitoring petshops selling birds like pigeons and love birds as well as game
fowls. (PNA)

'Bulacan is not affected by bird flu' - Alvarado

Published August 15, 2017

CITY OF MALOLOS- Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado assured the Bulakenyos that the province is not
affected by Avian Influenza or Bird Flu and that the poultry products here are safe for public consumption.

Following the outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga and the issuance of memorandum banning the movement and
sale of poultry products outside Luzon, the Provincial Government of Bulacan immediately called for an
emergency Poultry Stakeholders’ Meeting and Reactivation of the Avian Influenza Task Force at Francisco
Balagtas Hall Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center in this city yesterday.

In the meeting, Alvarado encouraged the public to support the poultry industry because the government is
doing all the necessary measures to keep Bulacan safe from bird flu.

“We would like to regulate but developmental, ‘wag nating patayin ang industriya. We are doing this to protect
not only our health which is primordial but the industry as well. Ligtas po itong kainin, basta linising maigi at
lutuing mabuti,” Alvarado said.

He also said that although Bulacan is not included in the seven kilometre quarantine radius that is banned from
moving and selling all poultry, poultry products and by-products, the province has already installed checkpoints
in San Rafael, San Miguel, Pulilan, NLEX and Calumpit.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Voltaire Basinang clarified that poultry products coming from Bulacan can be sold
within Luzon only when proper documents such as shipping permit and ND certificate are presented.

Engr. Ike Reliescas, one of the poultry stakeholders, said that the chain reaction has already affected them
since the release of the memo last August 11, 2017.

“If they are claiming na na-contain na, bakit nagsa-suffer ang buong Luzon? Sa loob ng apat na araw, lalo na
kaming magbabalot, damang-dama namin, wala kaming mapagbentahan kasi ang shipping namin, Visayas at
Mindanao,” Engr. Reliescas said.
Board Member Rino Castro said that they will try to make a formal appeal to find a way to exempt those that
can be exempted from the ban and ask assistance from the national government for the losses.

Basinang stressed the importance of immediate reporting if there are occurrence of one day mortality of 3%
followed by 2-fold increase trend in the next three days through DA-BAI cellphone numbers 0995-132-9339
and 0920-834-3119 or their telephone numbers 044-791-8166 and 0932-844-9239.

Bird flu is a viral infection that can infect not only birds but also humans and other animals through direct
contact. H5N1 and H5N6 can cause illness in people. If transmitted to humans, symptoms are colds and
fever.###

PH records first avian flu outbreak

Published August 11, 2017

MANILA (4TH UPDATE) - The Philippines has recorded its first bird flu outbreak and will cull around 200,000
fowls to control the spread of the virus, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Friday.
Around 37,000 fowls have died of the Avian Influenza Type A Subtype H5 in San Luis town, Pampanga, Piñol
said in a press briefing Friday afternoon.
Piñol said 6 farms in Barangays San Carlos and Santa Rita in San Luis, Pampanga were affected by the
outbreak.
"We are officially confirming the outbreak of Avian Influenza," he said.

Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda has declared a state of calamity in the province, Piñol said.

A 1-km radius quarantine area within San Luis town will be implemented, while another 7-km radius controlled
area has been declared.

All fowls within the quarantine area will be culled within the next 3 days to control the virus, while fowls and
eggs from the controlled area are not allowed to be brought out.

"All fowls found within the [quarantine] area will be culled, and buried," he said.

SOURCE OF OUTBREAK

Investigation of the outbreak began last Aug. 4, Piñol said. But deaths of quail and ducks began on the last
week of April, followed by reported deaths of chickens in May.
Piñol said the agency has yet to confirm the source of the outbreak as tests would still be conducted in
Australia.

"There are still reported and maybe unreported poultry mortalities in the area," he said.

The agriculture chief said 3 farms suffered a 100 percent mortality rate of its fowls, while overall mortality rate
in the affected area was placed at 34.5 percent.

A total of 90 quarantine officers have been deployed to the area, Piñol said.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has also ordered a ban on the transport of poultry from Luzon to other
parts of the country until further notice to control the outbreak.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Avian influenza is a viral infection that spreads among birds but can infect humans as well.

As of Friday, authorities have not received any report of human infection, Piñol said.

He also allayed concerns over the outbreak, saying the DA has long prepared for it.

"The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry is not unprepared. They have long prepared for this
crisis...This is not something that should cause us panic," he said.

In a text message Friday, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial meanwhile said the outbreak is still under the DA's
investigation and advised the public to take precautionary measures against the flu.

"Do not go near wild birds or go to farms with fowls! If you have flu symptoms that last longer than 3 days or
feel very weak, see a doctor or go to the nearest hospital for testing if its bird flu!" she said.

A team of epidemiologists from the Department of Health (DOH) has also been dispatched to assist the DA in
investigating the outbreak, the health department said in a statement.

The DOH also assured the public that it has a supply of anti-flu medication should regional health offices and
hospitals need it.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), human infection is primarily acquired through direct
contact with infected animals.

The infection may cause diseases such as mild conjunctivitis or swelling of the eyes, severe pneumonia and
even death. Interaction with humans infected with the flu, however, does not result in "efficient transmission"
between people.

The WHO also clarified that there is no evidence that the avian flu can be acquired by eating properly cooked
eggs or poultry. -- with a report from Carolyn Bonquin, ABS-CBN News
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. How avian flu is spread?

a. Infected birds can shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces.
Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with the virus as it is shed by
infected birds. They also can become infected through contact with surfaces that are
contaminated with virus from infected birds.Apr 14, 2017
2. How long does it take to get over the bird flu?
a. In a large number of patients, flu caused by the H5N1 virus develops unusually aggressively.
Bird flu's incubation period of two to eight days is longer than for normal, human seasonal flu
(two to three days). In some cases, the incubation period may take as long as 17 days.Feb 23,
2015
3. How is the avian flu spread to humans?
a. It's deadly to most birds. And it's deadly to humans and to other mammals that catch the virus
from birds. Since the first human case in 1997, H5N1 has killed nearly 60% of the people who
have been infected. But unlike human flu bugs, H5N1 bird flu does not spread easily from
person to person.
4. How did the avian flu start?
a. Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a virus that is highly contagious among wild birds and often fatal to
domesticated birds and poultry. The H5N1 strain was first detected in humans in 1997 and has
killed 60 people in Southeast Asia since 2003.Oct 18, 2005

Avian and other zoonotic influenza

Updated November 2016

Key facts

Humans can be infected with avian and other zoonotic influenza viruses, such as avian influenza virus
subtypes A(H5N1), A(H7N9), and A(H9N2) and swine influenza virus subtypes A(H1N1) and (H3N2).

Human infections are primarily acquired through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated
environments, but do not result in efficient transmission of these viruses between people. There is no evidence
that the avian or zoonotic influenza viruses can infect humans through properly cooked food.

Avian and other zoonotic influenza infections in humans may cause disease ranging from mild conjunctivitis to
severe pneumonia and even death.

The majority of human cases of A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) infection have been associated with direct or indirect
contact with infected live or dead poultry. Controlling the disease in the animal source is critical to decrease
risk to humans.

Influenza viruses, with the vast silent reservoir in aquatic birds, are impossible to eradicate. Zoonotic influenza
infection in humans can continue to occur. To minimize public health risk, quality surveillance in both animal
and human populations, thorough investigation of every human infection and risk-based pandemic planning
are essential.

There are 3 types of influenza viruses: types A, B, and C. Influenza A viruses infect humans and many different
animals. Influenza B viruses only circulate among humans and cause seasonal epidemics. Influenza C viruses
can infect both humans and pigs but infections are generally mild and are rarely reported.

Influenza type A viruses are classified into subtypes according to the combinations of different virus surface
proteins haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). There are 18 different haemagglutinin subtypes and 11
different neuraminidase subtypes. Depending on the origin host, influenza A viruses can be classified as avian
influenza, swine influenza, or other types of animal influenza viruses. Examples include avian influenza "bird
flu" virus subtypes A(H5N1) and A(H9N2) or swine influenza "swine flu" virus subtypes A(H1N1) and A(H3N2).
All of these animal influenza type A viruses are distinct from human influenza viruses and do not easily
transmit between humans.

Aquatic birds are the primary natural reservoir for most subtypes of influenza A viruses. Most cause
asymptomatic or mild infection in birds, where the range of symptoms depends on the virus properties. Viruses
that cause severe disease in birds and result in high death rates are called highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI). Viruses that cause outbreaks in poultry but are not generally associated with severe disease are called
low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI).