Avian Influenza Outbreak in the Philippines

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 16) — The highly-pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza or bird flu has reemerged in the Philippines more than two years after a similar strain affected poultry in the country, Agriculture Secretary William Dar announced on Monday.

He said bird flu was detected in a quail farm in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. Testing for avian influenza was done on March 13 after 1,500 out of 15,000 quails died in a farm in Barangay Ulanin-Pitak, he said, adding that samples from 30 live quails from the said farm tested positive for the disease.

Dar said a total of 12,000 quails from the said farm were "surgically stomped out" and buried on March 14.

He explained they are implementing the "1:7 protocol" to control and contain the spread of the bird flu. This means only quails from the infected farm will be culled, while its one-kilometer radius will be considered the control or quarantine zone. Seven kilometers beyond that will be a surveillance zone.