The Philippines has announced a temporary ban on the importation of birds and poultry products from South Dakota, United States, following an outbreak of bird flu. The directive was issued by the Department of Agriculture on Thursday.
In a memorandum dated January 22, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel ordered the suspension of imports of domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and artificial insemination semen from South Dakota.
The memo cited reports from December 17, 2024, indicating “several outbreaks” of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in South Dakota. As an emergency measure, Laurel directed the Bureau of Animal Industry to halt the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for bird and poultry imports from the affected region.
The order allows shipments already in transit, loaded, or accepted at port before the official issuance of the memorandum to proceed, provided the products were slaughtered or produced on or before November 23, 2024.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, spreads among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can also infect domestic poultry, other bird species, and animals.
