By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office is monitoring the influx of migratory birds, which may be carriers of avian influenza or bird flu virus, amid the lifting of the ban on poultry and its by-products from bird flu-affected areas outside the province.
Provincial Veterinary Officer Dr. Placeda Lemana said Thursday that they are focusing their monitoring on Sipalay City.
Sipalay has been identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a place where birds from other countries migrate during the winter season, especially from December to February next year.
Lemana said these migratory birds used to flock to the marshes of San Enrique, as well as the cities of Bago and Himamaylan, but have changed their destinations to Sipalay City.
She added that while the ban on poultry and its by-products from Visayas, including Panay and Guimaras, had been lifted, the ban remains in areas of Luzon and Mindanao.
The ban is aimed at protecting the P8-billion poultry industry in the province, Lemana stressed.
Negros Occidental remains free from bird flu, as of this time, she pointed out.
Lemana added that they are also closely monitoring ducks that are believed to be carriers of the bird flu virus.
