The Philippines has lifted its temporary import ban on poultry products from Missouri, United States, after the state was cleared from bird flu outbreaks.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) Memorandum Order (MO) 61 authorized the lifting of the temporary import ban on poultry products from Missouri, USA after it resolved its bird flu cases.
The DA earlier issued MO 29 that imposed the temporary import ban on poultry products from Missouri following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases.
“Based on the report of the veterinary authority of the United States of America to the World Organisation for Animal Health and the supporting documents submitted by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services all outbreaks of HPAI in Missouri are now closed and resolved,” MO 61 read.
“Based on the evaluation of the Department of Agriculture, the risk of contamination from importing poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen is negligible,” it added.
Furthermore, the DA also issued MO 60 that lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen from Japan.
The DA said in MO 60 that the bird flu cases in Japan have been resolved already. The DA added that the chance of contracting bird flu virus from the importation of various Japanese poultry products is now “negligible.”
“In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 10.4 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Japan is now free from HPAI,” MO 60 read.
“This Order is issued to lift the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products originating from Japan,” it added.
The DA has resumed import transactions for poultry products from both Missouri, USA and Japan following the issuance of the two MOs last August 12.