THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industries (DA-BAI) confirmed on Saturday, Dec. 2, that there was a disease detected in a poultry farm in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, but has yet to ascertain if it was a leftover strain of the avian influenza that struck the region a few months ago.

In a statement, the DA-BAI said the immediate depopulation or culling of the 42,000 chickens last Nov. 21, one of two options for farm owners, was considered as a control measure to avoid the disease from spreading if there is an observed mortality of 3% in the total poultry population in a day.

The other option was to wait for confirmation from the local government unit’s veterinarian that bird flu still does exist based on tests conducted by the Animal Disease Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory.

The suspicion for a possible disease stemmed from “ready to lay” chickens, which seemed to have been infected and died off. A screening test on the poultry farm, which remains unnamed, was then conducted.

“[T]he affected farm underwent screening test for bird flu. Several samples yielded positive results to the screening test. The initial findings were discussed to the owner and the latter opted for immediate depopulation,” the statement read.

BAI, however, reported that there is no case of the influenza in broiler chickens.

Last Aug. 11, the DA reported a case of avian influenza, which had plagued the poultry industry in Pampanga for around two months. A couple of weeks later, similar incidents were reported in the towns of Jaen and San Isidro in Nueva Ecija.

The DA still has an ongoing research and surveillance in the municipalities struck by the bird flu, and has yet to make an official bird flu-free declaration in the areas. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

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