Following a report from China that a woman died from the H5N6 strain of avian influenza last month, the Department of Livestock Development is on high alert to prevent the spread of the virus into the country.
Livestock Development Department director-general Sorravis Thaneto said the Chinese government has announced that a 54-year-old woman from Sichuan province has died from the H5N6 virus on November 23rd. The recent announcement came amid recent reports by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) revealing that the number of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) infection cases has risen continuously since January 2021, with 61 patients found infected with the H5N6 virus this year.
The department is currently delaying the import and export of animals from infected countries in order to prevent the virus from spreading into the country. The Director-General assures that there are no reports of any bird flu infections in both humans and animals. However, the department has instructed officials to keep a close watch on livestock along the border provinces and maintain preventive measures in their respective areas.
The Director-General also requests farmers’ assistance to closely monitor the health of their animals. He asks people to immediately notify officials if they found abnormal symptoms or deaths so that authorities could provide immediate assistance. For more information, please contact the Bureau of Disease Control and Veterinary Service, the Department of Livestock Development, or the Hotline at 063-225-6888, or notify via the DLD 4.0 application. (NNT)