Supply of chicken meat, eggs unaffected by bird flu: BAI

MANILA – The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on Thursday assured the public that the supply of chicken meat and eggs should not be a problem amid the bird flu hitting several parts of the country.

In a teleradio interview, BAI Director Reildrin Morales said there were several cases monitored in some egg-laying hens but were eventually resolved.

“Ang apektado po rito ay duck and quails, kaya po hindi natin nakikita na magkakaroon tayo ng kumplikasyon sa itlog ng manok at dito sa karne ng manok dahil technically speaking, wala pong tinatamaan pa na mga 42-day old na manok (What’s affected here are ducks and quails, we don’t see complication in chicken eggs and meat, because technically speaking, no 42-day-old chicken was hit),” he said.

Cases are considered resolved when infected birds have been culled or incidents have been fully monitored, with affected farmers being given indemnification from the government.

Morales said the BAI is giving PHP100 per culled chicken or duck, and PHP15 per quail.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary William Dar assured the public they are strictly monitoring and implementing biosafety guidelines to avoid its spread to other areas.

“Mayroon naman tayong pagtugon agad doon sa mga apektado at culled-out na at nabibigyan na rin ng ayuda ang mga naapektuhan. So kami ay in tandem (We have immediate response to those affected and those with culled-out [ducks or quails], we are giving aid. We work in tandem) with local government units, even with the Department of Health kasi kailangan po iyong (because it is needed) relationship sa (to) human health ay matingnan continuously. Ito po ay (This is) properly handled,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday.

To date, 45 cases of bird flu have been reported in the country, of which the majority are confined in some areas in Central Luzon.

“‘Yun pong bird flu, hindi po siya ganun kalawak dahil tayo po ay free from avian influenza… Kahit isa lamang po na kaso or insidente ng bird flu ay reportable po ito, obligado po tayong na i-report ito sa World Organization for Animal Health (The bird flu isn’t widespread, because we were free from the avian influenza, although there’s only one case or incident of bird flu, it’s still reportable. We are obligated to report cases to the World Organization for Animal Health),” Morales said.

Avian Influenza (AI) H5N1 outbreaks have been recorded in duck and quail farms in Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Camarines Sur, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Tarlac, Sultan Kudarat, and Benguet.

The DA has been attributing the spread of the virus to the presence of migratory birds, which are considered natural hosts.