The Philippines plans for bird flu pandemic

In 2005, the Philippines had set aside USD 4.46 million to address the potential bird flu threat – , funds used to set up checkpoints to prevent movement of chicken, surveillance of illegal trade of exotic birds in the south, train personnel in disaster management, and monitor the country for possible outbreaks.

The southern Mindanao provinces of the Philippines are considered “hotspots” vulnerable to the invasion of the avian flu through migratory birds flying from farther south of the country. A task force on avian influenza recently conducted Bird Flu Preparedness and Response Planning workshop to “institutionalize communication links thru the Web, Tri-media and mobile technology, transfer AI information and response skills to local task forces, and reinforce value of informed decision-making and cooperation”, reports the PIA Information Service.

Surprisingly early this month, the Philippines suffered its first cases of a “low-risk bird flu strain” not in Mindanao but in the northern province of Bulacan, which is just outside of Manila. Ducks were found infected in an isolated farm but there had been no sign of transmission and no ducks died from that incident. A quarantine was nonetheless set up and all the ducks in that infected farms were culled.

Although the Philippines has a large poultry industry, it is still the only Asian country that has not yet been affected by the bird flu virus.

[News source: PIA; Photo source: World Surface]

Tags: Asian, bird flu preparedness, Pandemic flu, Philippines