Dr Enrico Garzon, Assistant Secretary for Livestock, Bureau of Animal Industry, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Thursday of an additional outbreak of Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N6 virus.
This is the fourth such outbreak in the Philippines since Aug. 2017.
The current outbreak, which began on Nov. 11, was reported in a farm in Nueva Ecija province in Central Luzon. Of 42,000 susceptible birds, the virus killed 27,675, and the remaining 14,325 birds were killed and disposed of to prevent further spread of the virus.
Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting several species of food producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds. Occasionally mammals, including humans, may contract avian influenza.
HPAI strains can cause severe clinical signs and potentially high mortality rates among poultry.
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