21 December 2005
Migratory birds should not be disturbed in forage areas
ALTHOUGH many migratory birds from the Northern hemisphere are already here in the Philippines, the country remains safe from the onslaught of the dreaded avian flu and will hopefully continue to be so.
This was disclosed by Dr. Jesus Fantone, epidemiologist of the Department of Health who said as long as the migratory birds are not disturbed and mixed with local fowls which intermingling could spawn what he called a bird-to-bird transmission of the virus, the Filipinos are safe from the bird flu.
Speaking Thursday during a day-long orientation workshop on the prevention of avian flu at the Region 1 Medical Center here, Fantone said affliction of local fowls with bird flu is dangerous because from there, the possibility that the virus may transfer to humans increases.
He said this month is the start of migration of birds from China to the Philippines to escape the punishing winter season there but there is nothing to fear as all precautionary measures are in place to meet the threat of bird flu.
Fantone said China was listed by the World Health Organization as among 15 countries in the world where bird flu was detected. The others are South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Romania.
Dr. Jesus Canto, chief of R1MC, said the Philippines must be blessed as a country because despite its proximity to China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia, “our country remains bird flu-free till now”.
“But as the say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. The avian flu might not hit us now and tomorrow but it will come, and if it does, we already know what to do,” he said.
Fantone said the people have nothing to fear because a nationwide alert system is now on with the Department of Agriculture put in charge.
More dangerous than the migratory birds, he said, are some rural Chinese nationals peddling their wares in the streets of Laoag and Bulacan, as if they had just entered the country illegally.
The DA is now monitoring several bird sanctuaries in the Philippines, warning people living near these areas not to disturb or hunt down the migratory birds.
Fantone called on the people to report immediately to authorities mass deaths of fowls in their areas. If it is confirmed to have been caused by bird flu, necessary measures, including quarantine of the affected area, can be done.
Mayor Benjamin Lim of Dagupan City lauded the workshop because it afforded participants the chance to know what really is bird flu and the most effective measure that can be done to prevent its spread. (PNA)
This was disclosed by Dr. Jesus Fantone, epidemiologist of the Department of Health who said as long as the migratory birds are not disturbed and mixed with local fowls which intermingling could spawn what he called a bird-to-bird transmission of the virus, the Filipinos are safe from the bird flu.
Speaking Thursday during a day-long orientation workshop on the prevention of avian flu at the Region 1 Medical Center here, Fantone said affliction of local fowls with bird flu is dangerous because from there, the possibility that the virus may transfer to humans increases.
He said this month is the start of migration of birds from China to the Philippines to escape the punishing winter season there but there is nothing to fear as all precautionary measures are in place to meet the threat of bird flu.
Fantone said China was listed by the World Health Organization as among 15 countries in the world where bird flu was detected. The others are South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Romania.
Dr. Jesus Canto, chief of R1MC, said the Philippines must be blessed as a country because despite its proximity to China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia, “our country remains bird flu-free till now”.
“But as the say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. The avian flu might not hit us now and tomorrow but it will come, and if it does, we already know what to do,” he said.
Fantone said the people have nothing to fear because a nationwide alert system is now on with the Department of Agriculture put in charge.
More dangerous than the migratory birds, he said, are some rural Chinese nationals peddling their wares in the streets of Laoag and Bulacan, as if they had just entered the country illegally.
The DA is now monitoring several bird sanctuaries in the Philippines, warning people living near these areas not to disturb or hunt down the migratory birds.
Fantone called on the people to report immediately to authorities mass deaths of fowls in their areas. If it is confirmed to have been caused by bird flu, necessary measures, including quarantine of the affected area, can be done.
Mayor Benjamin Lim of Dagupan City lauded the workshop because it afforded participants the chance to know what really is bird flu and the most effective measure that can be done to prevent its spread. (PNA)
