‘Bulacan is not affected by bird flu’ – Alvarado
CITY OF MALOLOS- Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado assured the Bulakenyos that the province is not affected by Avian Influenza or Bird Flu and that the poultry products here are safe for public consumption.
Following the outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga and the issuance of memorandum banning the movement and sale of poultry products outside Luzon, the Provincial Government of Bulacan immediately called for an emergency Poultry Stakeholders’ Meeting and Reactivation of the Avian Influenza Task Force at Francisco Balagtas Hall Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center in this city yesterday.
In the meeting, Alvarado encouraged the public to support the poultry industry because the government is doing all the necessary measures to keep Bulacan safe from bird flu.
“We would like to regulate but developmental, ‘wag nating patayin ang industriya. We are doing this to protect not only our health which is primordial but the industry as well. Ligtas po itong kainin, basta linising maigi at lutuing mabuti,” Alvarado said.
He also said that although Bulacan is not included in the seven kilometre quarantine radius that is banned from moving and selling all poultry, poultry products and by-products, the province has already installed checkpoints in San Rafael, San Miguel, Pulilan, NLEX and Calumpit.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Voltaire Basinang clarified that poultry products coming from Bulacan can be sold within Luzon only when proper documents such as shipping permit and ND certificate are presented.
Engr. Ike Reliescas, one of the poultry stakeholders, said that the chain reaction has already affected them since the release of the memo last August 11, 2017.
“If they are claiming na na-contain na, bakit nagsa-suffer ang buong Luzon? Sa loob ng apat na araw, lalo na kaming magbabalot, damang-dama namin, wala kaming mapagbentahan kasi ang shipping namin, Visayas at Mindanao,” Engr. Reliescas said.
Board Member Rino Castro said that they will try to make a formal appeal to find a way to exempt those that can be exempted from the ban and ask assistance from the national government for the losses.
Basinang stressed the importance of immediate reporting if there are occurrence of one day mortality of 3% followed by 2-fold increase trend in the next three days through DA-BAI cellphone numbers 0995-132-9339 and 0920-834-3119 or their telephone numbers 044-791-8166 and 0932-844-9239.
Bird flu is a viral infection that can infect not only birds but also humans and other animals through direct contact. H5N1 and H5N6 can cause illness in people. If transmitted to humans, symptoms are colds and fever.