The information component of the Provincial Task Force Avian Flu in Oriental Negros will conduct a massive information campaign beginning this month.

Task Force action officer, Antonio Mutia, told the DAILY STAR that the move is necessary to educate the people on what to do in case the dreaded bird flu virus finds its way into the province, and also to give them the correct information.

Mutia, concurrent provincial veterinarian, said the task force is taking the threat of avian flu very seriously, especially that the human death toll due to bird flu infection worldwide has risen to 71.

He however, clarified that the province still remains bird flu free.

In Oriental Negros, migratory birds are noted in the swamps of Tanjay, Bais and Siaton areas.

Mutia said the task force had already collected blood samples among fowls around the swamp in Bais City, and these have already been sent to the Department of Agriculture in Manila for testing.

This month, he said, fowl blood sampling will also be conducted in Tanjay and Siaton.

Oliver Lemence, chairperson of the information component of the task force, said their campaign will be conducted in schools, local government units and in tri-media.

Mutia said people should not immediately believe what they hear, especially from unofficial sources or just mere rumors.

He noted that, last November, the poultry industry in Negros Occidental lost an estimated P1.3 million due to a sudden decline in chicken consumption, attributed to a report of a bird flu in Escalante City in the province.

The report turned out to be a false alarm.*RA

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