DA bars Washington and Idaho poultry products

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued an order prohibiting the importation of domesticated and wild birds and their products from Idaho and Washington, USA.

A report of an outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus in Canyon County, Idaho; and Clallam County, Washington from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Office of International des Epizooties (OIE) has prompted DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to order the temporary ban.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the outbreak of HPAI serotype H5N2 affecting backyard flocks of geese, ducks and chicken in said counties.

The agriculture chief has set the temporary ban to protect the health of the local livestock population and food safety in the country from the avian flu virus.

The ban covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.

Under the order, Secretary Alcala specified emergency measures such as the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Import Clearance to import the aforementioned commodities from said location; and stoppage and confiscation of all shipments of aforementioned commodities from said locations, except heat-treated products.

The Secretary also stressed that the importation of poultry and meat products is subject to the conditions provided in the applicable articles of the OIE's 2014 Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

“Recently, there have been several avian flu outbreaks outside the country. But the public should not worry as we are strictly guarding our major ports against possible entry of infected products,” Alcala said.

The OIE is an inter-governmental organization that inform governments of the occurrence of animal diseases and the ways to control such. It also coordinates studies devoted to the surveillance and control of animal diseases and harmonizes regulations to facilitate trade in animals and animal products. (DA)