DA bans bird imports from UK, Japan

The Philippines is temporarily banning imports of domestic and wild birds from the United Kingdom and Japan’s Kagawa prefecture after a town in the former and a city in the latter confirmed a bird flu outbreak.

In separate orders for the ban, the Department of Agriculture (DA) cited a report from health and veterinary agencies from London and Tokyo to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that Frodsham town in England and Mitoyo City in Kagawa recorded cases of the H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It can be deadly for birds, especially poultry.