The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily banned the entry of birds and poultry, including their products, from France and Germany in line with its sustained efforts to keep the Philippines free of the Avian Influenza (AI) or bird flu virus. In separate directives issued over the weekend, DA officials said the ban was imposed on bird and poultry imports from Germany and France after official reports from the World Organization on Animal Health or Office International des Epizooties (OIE) confirmed outbreaks of the AI virus in the two European countries. OIE confirmed an occurrence of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) in Saint Aubin du Plain based on the report of Dr. Jean Luc Angot, Director General Adjoint of France. The global animal health organization also received a report from Prof. Dr. Werner Zwingmann, head of the Department of Animal Health and Food Hygiene, Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) about an occurrence of LPAI in a farm in Thuringen , Germany. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap signed an order imposing the temporary ban.
