Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has declared Camarines Sur free from avian influenza, five months after the province’s last recorded case of the highly pathogenic H5N9 bird flu virus.
The declaration, issued through a memorandum circular no. 27 signed on Wednesday, follows a comprehensive disease control and surveillance campaign. The last confirmed case was detected in April 2025 at a backyard duck farm in the municipality of Camaligan.
In response, the provincial and municipal governments, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office V and the Bureau of Animal Industry, swiftly implemented containment measures under the Avian Influenza Protection Program. These included disease investigation, immediate depopulation of affected poultry, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions, and active surveillance.
Subsequent monitoring within 1-kilometer and 7-kilometer zones surrounding the infected area yielded no further positive cases of the influenza A virus.
Prior to the H5N9 incident, Camarines Sur had also reported cases of H5N1 in 2022.
Secretary Tiu Laurel emphasized that the declaration is in accordance with guidelines set by the World Organization for Animal Health, which allows an area to regain bird flu-free status 28 days after a successful stamping-out operation, followed by disinfection and the absence of new cases during post-outbreak surveillance.
He cautioned, however, that the bird flu-free status may be immediately revoked if a new confirmed case arises. The Department of Agriculture remains committed to vigilance and rapid response to prevent any recurrence of avian influenza in the province.
Despite the clearance, Camarines Sur is not among the country’s top 10 producers of chicken or duck. According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, national chicken production rose by 6.8 percent in 2024 to 2.08 million metric tons, with its market value increasing by 11 percent to P278.66 billion. Duck production, on the other hand, remained flat at 29,960 metric tons, valued at P5.16 billion.
