Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced a temporary import ban on birds and poultry products originating from South Dakota, United States. This decision comes in response to several outbreaks of the H5N1 avian influenza (AI) reported in the state on December 17, 2024. The ban, articulated in DA Memorandum Order No. 4, encompasses domestic and wild birds, eggs, semen for artificial insemination, day-old chicks, and other poultry products.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized the need for this measure to protect the health of the local poultry industry. He directed all veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors to confiscate any related commodities arriving from South Dakota. However, exemptions are in place for products that were already in transit or had reached local ports prior to the issuance of the order. Additionally, poultry products that were slaughtered on or before November 13, 2024, are exempt from the ban.

Previously, on January 8, Secretary Tiu Laurel imposed a similar import restriction following an outbreak of the AI H7N6 strain in domestic birds in East Otago, Waitaki, and Canterbury in New Zealand. As of January 17, the Bureau of Animal Industry has reported no cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza within the country.