The Department of Agriculture (DA) has cleared Capiz province of the avian influenza virus.
The declaration was formalized in Memorandum Circular 27 series of 2023 signed by senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban on July 4.
Capiz had one confirmed case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 affecting chicken layer and ducks in Roxas City confirmed by a laboratory test last December.
The DA said the provincial government of Capiz and Roxas City, in coordination with DA regional field office Western Visayas and the Bureau of Animal Industry, promptly conducted a disease investigation, immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions and surveillance in affected premises consistent with avian influenza protection program guidelines.
It said continued disease monitoring and surveillance of affected farms yielded negative test results for the influenza type A virus for more than 90 days that led to the issuance of the memo.
Prior to Capiz, the DA also declared Batangas, Ilocos Sur, Rizal province, Quezon province and South Cotabato as avian influenza-free areas.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Capiz produced 10,651.59 metric tons (MT) of chicken or 0.57 percent of the 1.87 million MT produced by the entire country for the period and 255.55 MT of duck or 0.97 percent of the 26,250.52 MT total duck produced in the Philippines.
Capiz also contributed 6,038.76 MT of chicken eggs or 0.85 percent of the total 708,499.62 MT of eggs produced as well as 563.15 MT or 1.01 percent of duck egg production last year of 55,635.05 MT.
