The Department of Agriculture (DA) has given the green light for authorities to resort to burning as one method of mass culling for condemned poultry stocks in San Luis, Pampanga hit by an outbreak of bird, or avian flu.
Initial tests ruled out the highly pathogenic H5N1 as the virus strain, Dr. Celia Carlos of the Department of Health (DOH) had told Reuters news agency, and samples will be sent to Australia for further testing.
DA and DOH officials pointed out that transmission of the virus between fowls and birds occurs in live animals.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol led government officials in allaying public apprehension about the situation, explaining that there is no danger in consuming chicken meat that has been well-cooked.
Piñol, accompanied by various local officials, demonstrated this by joining each other in enjoying a meal of roasted chicken sourced from San Luis, Pampanga, epicenter of the avian flu outbreak.
A 1-kilometer radius area has been marked off for the total culling zone, with a 7-km control zone to be enforced for the next 21 days.
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