The Philippines has confirmed cases of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), a viral disease caused by an adenovirus that could impact the growth of the poultry sector, according to a government official.
“There are confirmed cases recorded in the private sector,” Reildrin Morales, director of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), said.
Morales said the number of confirmed cases was increasing, but did not provide data.
“It poses a threat to the poultry sector due to the disease’s high mortality rate. Of course, all the threats affecting the harvest figures and the growth of chickens will have an impact on our supply,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Noninfectious
The BAI has issued special import permits for autogenous vaccines to stem the transmission of poultry diseases, such as the IBH.
“They need that (the vaccines) because there are underlying disease conditions and the IBH can be mistaken as avian influenza,” Morales said, adding IBH is a noninfectious disease.
“Based on the results provided by an industry group, the available vaccines in the country right now are not the ones that would cater to the strain that is present,” he added.
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier explained that IBH is a viral disease caused by fowl adenovirus which is resistant to several disinfectants, heat and pH changes.
Steps to stop the surge
The issuance of special import permits is among the steps undertaken by the DA to arrest the continuous surge in the prices of poultry and poultry products in the markets.
Other measures include easing restrictions on the movements of poultry products, conducting regular validations and monitoring of supply scenarios, sourcing alternative local feed ingredients, and lifting import bans for poultry products.
It has observed a
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