H5N1 Bird Flu Strain Detected in Philippine Duck, Quail Farms

Bird flu is back in the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture (DA) reports that bird flu or avian influenza was detected in some duck and quail farms. They supposedly got rid of the disease more than a year ago. This is the H5N1 bird flu strain of avian influenza. The H5N6 strain was prevalent in previous recent outbreaks. Both strains are classified as highly pathogenic. This is a problem for a huge importer of chicken and other poultry products like the Philippines.

on March 30, DA announced a bird flu outbreak due to the increase in avian flu cases, primarily in Central Luzon.

H5N6 Previously Defeated

The Philippine Department of Agriculture had declared itself free of the highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu virus in January 2021. The department resolved outbreaks in Pampanga province and a village in Rizal. There was a ban imposed on the importation of wild birds and their products by the department last year. The ban covered France, South Korea, and the Netherlands. The highly pathogenic H5N8 strain was detected in Poland causing another ban.

A report submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) gave further details. No further evidence of the H5N6 virus was found in the affected farms in Pampanga and Rizal.

A study published in 2007 previously warned of how transmissible H5N1 can be. It stated that if the virus improved its ability to achieve efficient and sustained transmission between humans, a pandemic could emerge.

What Is Bird Flu?

Bird flu is caused by a rare type of influenza virus that rarely infects humans. More than a dozen types of bird flu have been identified including the H5N1 and H5N6 strains. Avian influenza can be deadly when it strikes humans. The Asian flu epidemic of 1957 and Hong Kong flu of 1968 are now viewed as having an avian origin.

Close contact with sick birds is the usual cause of bird flu symptoms in people. Only sporadic cases have been reported since 2015 but they have occurred in Asia, Africa, North America, and parts of Europe. A global outbreak could occur if a bird flu strain mutates into a form that is easier to transmit from person to person.

Signs and symptoms of bird flu may begin between two to seven days of infection. The symptoms usually resemble those of typical influenza including cough, fever, sore throat, muscle ache, headache, and shortness of breath. Some people experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Bird flu occurs naturally in wild waterfowl and can spread naturally to domestic poultry. It is transmitted through contact with an infected bird’s feces or secretions from its nose, mouth, or eyes.

H5N1 Bird Flu Strain in the Philippines

The first cases of H5N1 infection were found in January in provinces rich in poultry business, namely Bulacan and Pampanga. The department said additional cases were recorded in early February. BAI director Reildrin Morales said the strain had not yet been found in chickens and turkeys.

Quarantine zones have been placed around infected farms to stop the virus from spreading and being transmitted to humans. Agriculture Secretary William Dar assures the public that the risk of humans catching the H5N1 strain is very low.

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