Bird flu in the Philippines
By: Allyson Rose Javellana Frani, September 2017
Last August 2017, “bird flu” attacks the Philippines particularly in the province of Pampanga and Nueva Ecija since August 11, the day after government announce about the bird flu came in the country. They culled more than 470,000 of chickens, ducks and quails by almost 500 soldiers in 40 farms in San Luis in Pampanga and San Isidro and Jaen in Nueva Ecija.
The Department of Health (DOH) told and assured the people that H5N6 virus cannot be transmitted or spread out with the consumption of chickens. To prove the Department of Agriculture (DA) that poultry products sold in the market is safe, the department officials ate fried chicken during the press conference. But then, there are 41 “victims” of the virus who reported and 34 of them tested negative. Most of them are farmers and members of the family who helped the previous culling.
The officials are assuring the public and said that there is low probability that animal-to-human virus will spread and can kill people. “No deaths have (ever) been directly due to H5N6; ordinary human flu posed more health risk,” said Sinag chair Rosendo So.
Seven (7) firemen in San Luis, Pampanga who helped the cull birds in avian flu examined in the hospital in San Fernando and tested negative in bird flu virus, a health official confirmed. “What they showed [were symptoms of] regular human influenza. They have colds, and not the H5N6 strain of avian flu that struck San Luis,” said Dr. Jesse Fantone, chief epidemiologist of the DOH in Central Luzon.
Based on the health officials, there is no virus will spread and this virus cannot be the cause of death by humans. But, because of this issue, many people particularly in the provinces that are affected were scared to eat poultry products just to assure the safety of their family. The whole country worried about their safety that’s why the consumption of poultry products became low. Because of culling of chickens and other animals that are affected of this issue, the production of goods also decreased.
As of now, there are citizens that are scared to eat poultry products because of fear of having H5N6 virus. In contrast, most of the people acted normal and still eat poultry products even during the culling of chickens in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija last August 2017.
References:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/925674/bird-flu-pampanga-nueva-ecija-chicken-culling-fever
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/08/28/1733434/da-upbeat-bird-flu-has-been-contained
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