The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, as well as poultry products from four US states—Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin—due to an avian influenza outbreak, the DA said in a news release dated February 20.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued Memorandum Order (MO) 11, directing the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to suspend the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from the affected states.
This action follows a report from the deputy administrator and chief veterinary officer of the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which on February 3 confirmed several outbreaks of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza in Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
However, MO 11 permits the entry of shipments that were already in transit, loaded, and accepted at port, provided the products were slaughtered or produced 14 days before the first outbreaks occurred: November 14 in Illinois, November 26 in Minnesota, December 10 in Wisconsin, and December 13 in Ohio.
A previous ban imposed on Minnesota was just lifted in November while the temporary ban on Ohio was lifted in June.
