POULTRY and poultry-related products from Luzon, Mindanao and other countries affected by the Avian Influenza (AI) virus have been banned from entering Mandaue City.Mayor Jonas Cortes issued Executive Order (EO) No. 61, which imposes a ban on the entry of live poultry and live birds, including day-old chicks and gamefowls, pigeons, and pet birds into the city originating from Luzon, Mindanao and other AI-affected countries.The EO took effect immediately on May 31, the date of its issuance and it shall remain effective until revoked.Cortes issued the executive order after several provinces in Luzon and Mindanao and some other countries reported an outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI), commonly known as bird flu.Avian Influenza (subtype H5N1) is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the AI Type A virus, which can affect domestic poultry, bird and other animal species, and humans in rare cases.This is the Mandaue City Government’s first EO issued in relation to the bird flu outbreak outside Cebu. It adopted the earlier EO issued by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia for the same purpose. Garcia’s EO 14, which took effect May 24, extended the ban on the entry of all poultry meat products from Luzon, Mindanao and other areas affected by the AI virus.“There is a need to protect the poultry industry of the City of Mandaue and the general public from the effects of Avian Influenza,” Cortes said in his EO.Under Cortes’ EO, live poultry, birds, and poultry-related products in all affected areas and countries are prohibited from entering the city.The transport, shipment and movement of dung, manure and feathers into the city of Mandaue are also not allowed.However, the transport of poultry and poultry-related products coming from the Visayas areas will be allowed if they submit the necessary requirements, such as a veterinary health certificate issued by the Provincial Veterinarian and a veterinary shipping permit issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry or deputized veterinary quarantine officers.Also, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay/hemagglutination-inhibition/reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction negative result for game fowls, day-old chicks, and ready-to-lay pullets is also a requirement.For poultry meat products, both local and international, resellers must also provide a local meat inspection certificate.“The City Veterinarian, Agriculturist, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Cebu Ports Authority, and shipping lines are to implement the executive order strictly,” Cortes’ EO read.According to Garcia, the poultry industry in Cebu is worth around P12 billion. The province has remained free of bird flu.The AI virus was first detected in Hong Kong in 1997. This year, its reoccurrence was first observed in Washington state last May and it has continuously spread throughout the globe.In the Philippines, AI-related cases have been reported in Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Tarlac, Sultan Kudarat and Benguet possibly due to the presence of migratory birds, according to the Department of Agriculture.