Migratory birds in Mt. Province monitored for dreaded bird flu

By Andrew Doga-ong

BONTOC, Mountain  Province --  The Provincial Veterinary Office here is closely monitoring possible entry of  migratory  birds in the province as these might be carriers of dreaded bird flu virus.

The tight watch against the possible entry of migratory birds in the province is being undertaken amidst reports of surge of bird flu infections in China and other neighboring Asian countries.

Dr. Rodel Bagawi of the Office of the Provincial Veterinary here advised local residents to refrain from catching or holding rare or migratory birds as they might be carriers of avian influenza or bird flu.

Veterinarians said bird flu is an infectious disease of chickens, ducks, birds or fowls caused by avian influenza virus which could  infect humans causing fatal illnesses and even death,

.The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has earlier identified the forests in the municipality of Barlig and Mount Ampakaw in the resort town of Sagada  as passageways or  temporary refuge of  migratory birds during the cold months. These birds leave their  countries of origin due to severe winter and scarcity of food then go back  home in March or April.

The Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada came up in 2005 with a municipal resolution banning bird hunting activities in the town for fear of catching migratory birds carrying the bird flu virus.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday banned import  of poultry and related products originating from China where most bird flu infections were recorded.