BULACAN NOW BIRD FLU-FREE — DA

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has declared the entire province of Bulacan free of the highly- pathogenic avian influenza, particularly the H5NI strain.

The DA issued the declaration following a 90-day cleaning and disinfection activities in all areas affected.

At least 135 registered poultry facilities and businesses engaged in birds and byproducts are located in Bulacan.

Latest surveillance according to Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yielded negative results.

A series of bird flu cases of infections were reported in the province since 2022 until May last year.

Between January 2022 and February last year, H5N1 strain were recorded in Baliwag City and in the towns of Pulilan, Santa Maria, San Rafael, San Miguel and San Ildefonso.

The infections were reported on ducks, quail, native chickens, chicken layers, broiler breeders and gamefowl during the four-month period.

It prompted agriculture authorities to issue directives for farms to conduct depopulation, disinfection and transport restrictions to prevent the spread of the animal infection.

A one-kilometer and seven-kilometer surveillance zones which were then put up in infected farmers and tests yielded negative results for the virus.

According to the Bureau of Animal Industry’s AI monitoring, the last reported H5N1 infection was in early May last year in a gamefowl farm in Santa Maria town.