MANILA, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Wednesday
it has temporarily banned the importation of domestic and wild
birds and their products from Australia after the presence of
the highly pathogenic H7N7 avian flu virus was detected at an
egg farm.
Australia, which accounts for less than 1% of the
Philippines' poultry imports, has confirmed the outbreak at the
egg farm in Victoria. The ban covers poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen,
the Department of Agriculture said in its Aug. 14 order made
public on Wednesday.
Avian flu can infect humans, although there is limited
evidence of human-to-human transmission, according to health
experts. Human infections are primarily acquired through direct
contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.
All incoming shipments from Australia with import clearance
issued on or before Aug. 6 will be allowed entry, provided the
birds were slaughtered or processed on or before July 3, or 21
days prior to the outbreak, Agriculture Secretary William Dar
said.
The Philippines has seen its own outbreaks of avian flu,
with the latest involving the highly infectious H5N6 subtype of
the virus detected at an egg farm in San Luis town in Pampanga
province in July. The Southeast Asian country on Friday also declared a
temporary ban on Brazilian poultry meat products, after two
cities in China found traces of the new coronavirus in cargoes
of imported frozen food, including chicken wings from the South
American country. Brazil has the world's second-worst COVID-19 outbreak after
the United States, recording more than 3.4 million cases and
deaths of close to 110,000 since the pandemic began.