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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reimposed an import ban on poultry products from South Dakota in the United States after receiving reports of outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza.
According to the Memorandum Order (MO) No. 4 signed by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday, the ban covered the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen.
In a statement on Thursday, Laurel said that the import ban “is intended to prevent the entry of bird flu virus to protect the health of the local poultry industry.”
The secretary also said that US veterinary authorities confirmed reports on December 17, 2024 of several outbreaks of the influenza virus that is affecting domestic birds in South Dakota. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa confirmed the presence of bird flu.
Laurel then ordered the Bureau of Animal Industry to suspend the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for the importation of domestic and wild birds and their poultry products.
The MO also said that the transit to local ports before the issuance of the order to US authorities is allowed, given that the poultry products were slaughtered or produced on or before November 13, 2024.
In August 2024, the agency lifted import restrictions from South Dakota and California. The import ban was issued to South Dakota in November 2023 after logging cases of bird flu.
The MO also noted that the veterinary authorities of the US and the Philippines entered an agreement in 2016 “that a state-wide ban shall only be imposed if there are three (3) or more counties affected with HPAI [Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza] in one state.”
It added that South Dakota has three or more counties affected with the HPAI based on the reports of the World Organization for Animal Health.