THE Department of Agriculture said that they had banned importation of poultry as well as other poultry products coming from Belgium and France due to the outbreak of bird flu in the said European nations.

According to the DA, the ban was made after Belgium and France made reports of their respective outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

Belgium and France share a border, to which is being reported of the bird flu outbreak in domestic birds to the WOAH.

Belgium made a report that was submitted to the WOAH on December 1, 2023, while France submitted it on November 30, 2023.

Earlier, the Agriculture Department said the prohibition of poultry and poultry products from European countries were important to prevent the possible entry of HPAI-H5N1.

“We’re doing this to protect the health of our local poultry population as well as poultry workers and consumers since H5N1 is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected animals,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said.

Under the ban, it likewise prohibits the acquisition of both domesticated and wild birds as well as poultry products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen from the two countries starting January 8, 2024.

The DA however said that those that are in transit, loaded or accepted before the ban will be allowed entry, if the poultry were slaughtered or the products were produced on or before November 12, 2023 for France, and November 16, 2023 for Belgium.

On the other hand, the imports after the above-mentioned dates will not be considered upon arrival in the country, except for heat-treated products.