ALL 90 domestic birds tested in Olango Island have returned negative results for avian influenza virus antibodies, according to the Lapu-Lapu City Veterinary Office (CVO), following its latest surveillance activity.
City Veterinarian Janice Togonon in a phone interview with SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, said the samples collected from chickens, ducks, and turkeys, showed no evidence of exposure to avian influenza, based on laboratory results released by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on April 8.
She stressed the importance of keeping the area free from avian influenza, noting that an outbreak could significantly affect the poultry industry.
“It’s very important that we are able to check this. We need to have preparations in place, that’s why it’s important for us to know, so we can protect our poultry industry not only in Lapu-Lapu City but the Province of Cebu,” Togonon said in Cebuano.
Togonon said the virus can also be highly pathogenic and may also pose risks to humans.
The surveillance was conducted on March 26, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture’s Regulatory Division, as part of the CVO’s annual monitoring.
Field sampling
Veterinary personnel collected both blood and cloacal swab samples from 90 domestic birds in Olango Island. The procedure is part of standard avian influenza surveillance, designed to detect both current infection and prior exposure to the virus.
Blood samples are used to check for antibodies that indicate previous infection, while cloacal swabs help detect active viral shedding in birds.
Togonon said Olango Island was selected as a monitoring site due to its proximity to the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, a known stopover for migratory birds traveling along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
Thousands of migratory birds from Siberia, China, Japan, and Korea pass through the area annually, using the island’s wetlands as a resting and feeding ground.
Togonon urged poultry owners to remain vigilant and immediately report any unusual or sudden deaths among chickens to the office for prompt investigation to determine the cause of illness.
The CVO conducts surveillance monitoring twice a year, with the next round scheduled between September and November. / DPC