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The Department of Agriculture has lifted the temporary ban on all
imports of domestic and wild birds, along with poultry and its
products from Germany, after official confirmation showed the
absence of the bird flu virus in that country during the last three
months.
In a memorandum order, Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap said he is lifting the ban after an evaluation done by
the Bureau of Animal Industry showed that “the risk of
contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from
Germany is negligible.”
Quoting the final report submitted by the
Directorate of Animal Health and Food Hygiene of the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture of Germany to the Office International des
Epizooties (OIE), or Animal Health Organization, Yap said “90 days
have elapsed without any evidence of the highly pathogenic AI [Avian
influenza] since the cleaning and disinfection of infected premises
conducted December 26 last year.”
The Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the OIE
sets a three-month period before a country can regain its bird
flu-free status, after conducting a stamping-out campaign to
eradicate birds infected with the bird flu virus.
Earlier, the Agriculture department lifted the
ban on the entry of birds, poultry and its products from another
European country, Italy, after the OIE had declared it free of the
bird flu virus.
The Philippines currently bans the importation
of birds, poultry and its products from South Korea, Saudi Arabia,
Poland and the western African country of Benin to protect the
country’s human health and the poultry industry.
-- Ira Karen Apanay
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