AN official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Davao Region allayed fears that the Avian Influenza (AI) or bird flu might affect the survivability of the Philippine Eagle.
Dr. Karl Pineda, representing the livestock division of the field unit operation of DA-Davao, said the Avian Influenza might contaminate poultry products like chicken and ducks but it does not affect the haven of the Philippine Eagle.
He said most of the time, the bird flu virus thrives on the plain areas while the Philippine Eagles’ haven is in the forest.
“The eagles are far from the areas where the [bird flu] virus thrives on poultries in the plain,” Pineda said.
He said the tracks of migratory birds which are the carriers of the bird flu virus are far from the places where the eagles fly.
Pineda said the bird flu virus contaminates through the droppings of migratory birds.
He recalled that the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Davao Region issued a resolution activating the Regional Task Force on the Zoonotic Diseases for all agency members and local government units to implement measures and support the task force by all means and to include security and border control among others in order to prevent the entry of the AI in the region.
Pineda revealed that the DA-Davao received a report from the Bureau of Animal Industry last April 1, 2022 of the laboratory test result from the grazing ducks owned by a farmer in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur which reflected positive for Avian Influenza.
“The nature of rearing of the AI-affected flock owned by the affected farm is primarily grazing transitory ducks, so he traveled the flock from Koronadal City, South Cotabato to Magsaysay, Davao del Sur during the harvest season from the last week of February 2022. He is a resident of Purok Kinalawi 1, President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat,” he said.
Pineda said that on April 2, 2022, a composite team of DA-Davao, Bureau of Animal Industry, Veterinary Quarantine Services-Davao and the Provincial Veterinarian of Davao del Sr visited Barangay San Isidro, in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur to meet the Municipal Agricultural Officer and the barangay officials of San Isidro.
He said on April 3, 2022, depopulation of the affected flock of ducks commenced, wherein 3,008 heads of grazing docks were culled using carbon dioxide and were disposed accordingly in the vicinity. (PR)