Philippines reports first avian flu outbreak, to cull 200,000 birds

Record ID: 906054

  • Title: Philippines reports first avian flu outbreak, to cull 200,000 birds
  • Date: 11th August 2017
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AUGUST 11, 2017) (REUTERS) AGRICULTURE MINISTRY NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE MINISTER, EMMANUEL PINOL, SAYING: "We are officially confirming the outbreak of Avian Influenza type A sub-type H5 in the town of San Luis, Pampanga. The said mortalities of the poultry started on the last week of April 2017, with cases of quails and ducks. This was followed by outbreaks in layer chicken in adjacent Barangays in May 2017 up to the date of the investigation. The total reported mortality from the investigated farms, and there are six farms, is estimated at 37,000 out of 105,980 bird population or a 34.5 percent mortality rate" JOURNALIST FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE ON SMARTPHONE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE MINISTER, EMMANUEL PINOL, SAYING: "As of today, we have declared a one-kilometer radius, quarantine radius, with the epicenter being San Luis. All fouls found within the area will be culled and burned. Buried. And the estimated population is around 200,000." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English/Filipino) PHILIPPINE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRIES HEAD OF ANIMAL DISEASE CONTROL, ARLENE VYTIACO, SAYING: "So far we are cleared from H5N1 because it was tested negative for N1 so what we have to await for now is if (the birds) will test positive for N6. So we will send (a sample) to a reference lab in Australia" NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2017 11:58
  • Keywords: Philippines bird flu agriculture minister news conference Emmanuel Pinol quarantine
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016TPPCG5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The Philippines will cull 200,000 chickens, quails and ducks after confirming the country's first outbreak of bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said on Friday (August 11).
    The avian flu outbreak was detected in a farm in San Luis municipality in Pampanga province, north of the capital Manila, which later spread to five neighbouring farms. There has been no case of human transmission although health officials are conducting checks on farm workers.
    Culling should be completed within the next three days, said Pinol. He added, the virus may have come from migratory birds from China or smuggled ducks, also from China. There were indications as early as April of bird flu hitting one farm, but the situation worsened in July, with around 37,000 birds dying during the period.
    The Philippines is the latest country in Asia, Europe and Africa where the bird flu viruses have spread in recent months. Many strains only infect birds, but the H7N9 strain has led to human cases, including fatalities, in China.
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