The Department of Agriculture in the Philippines bans birds and poultry products from France amid an avian flu outbreak

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday ordered a temporary ban on the importation of birds and poultry products from France amid another avian flu outbreak in the European country. Based on Memorandum Order 40 dated September 27, 2024, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the import ban covers shipments of live poultry, poultry products, and by-products, including day-old chicks and semen. Tiu Laurel said the decision to impose the ban came after France reported the outbreak of the High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne, France, to the World Organisation on Animal Health (WOAH) on August 7. Laboratory tests later confirmed the bird flu infection, according to the DA. “We are imposing the ban as a preemptive measure to stop the entry of infected birds and their by-products into the country. This step will prevent the spread of the virus that could have a devastating impact on the local poultry industry,” the DA ...