Philippines confirms first detection of H5N9 bird flu strain in local poultry

PHILIPPINES – Authorities in the Philippines have confirmed the presence of the H5N9 avian influenza strain in poultry for the first time following routine surveillance in April.

The infection was identified in a flock of ducks in Camarines Sur, a province located in the Bicol region on the southern part of Luzon island.

Following the detection, veterinary officials culled all remaining birds on the affected farm as a containment measure.

Local authorities also widened monitoring efforts within a one-kilometre radius of the outbreak site and carried out disinfection protocols to help prevent transmission.

According to the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the virus is highly lethal to birds but does not pose a threat to human health.

The agency has urged poultry farmers to notify local officials immediately if they notice any abnormal deaths or illness in their flocks.

An official report submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) states that the virus was likely detected in mid-April.

Investigations suggest that the infected ducks, which numbered 110, may have been exposed while feeding in a rice field potentially frequented by wild birds.

H5N1 resurfaces amid ongoing eradication efforts

Meanwhile, new H5N1 outbreaks have been confirmed in Pampanga province in Central Luzon, despite a temporary halt in cases between December and March.

The outbreaks, which occurred between March 26 and April 4, affected two backyard flocks—one with native chickens and the other with mixed species—and a commercial duck farm housing around 450 birds.

These cases were also reported to WOAH by the country’s veterinary authorities as part of continued disease tracking.

Efforts to eliminate H5N1 from the country have been ongoing for over three years, with reported outbreaks gradually declining in recent months.

Regional bird flu status

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, New Zealand has declared its HPAI incident resolved following the detection of the H7N6 strain in commercial poultry last November.

After widespread testing, no additional infections have been reported in the country since the initial case.

In Australia, four properties in Victoria were impacted by the H7N8 strain earlier this year, but no new outbreaks have been documented since then.

In Türkiye (Turkey), veterinary authorities have confirmed that the number of sites affected by the H5N1 strain has remained unchanged at seven since October.

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