Less than 100 fighting cocks have died in Brgy. Mabini, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, but the local veterinary office has tentatively diagnosed the cause as Newcastle disease, a poultry disease locally known as "aratay".

Dr. Renante Decena, Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinarian, yesterday told the DAILY STAR in a phone interview that the Cadiz Veterinary Office yesterday submitted three dead chickens to his office for laboratory examinations. The results will be released on Monday, he said.

However, Decena said there is no cause for alarm for the possible entry of Avian Influenza, or bird flu, in the province because the chances that the virus could enter Brgy. Mabini, which is located three kilometers away from migratory sites, are remote. Initially, he said there were no symptoms of bird flu in the dead fighting cocks and no bird-to-bird infection was found.

He said they recently conducted surveillance and collected cloacal swabs and blood samples from the poultry population in Brgy. Banquerohan and Luna, which are considered as migratory sites in Cadiz City. All samples yielded negative results to bird flu, he added.

The mortality rate of gamefowls in the infected barangay was less than 10 percent, but if bird flu strikes, all poultry products will be infected and killed within three days, Decena said.

Meanwhile, Cadiz Veterinarian Joshue Rabang will conduct today a quick response treatment in the area where the infection had started two weeks ago, Decena said.

The infected area has more than 1,000 poultry products including fighting cocks and native chickens, he added.

Decena said the Newcastle disease is an endemic disease that occurs in areas with no vaccination and de-worming of domestic poultry.

He said he is encouraging the public to inform local veterinarians and health officers if the same incident occurs in their respective areas so that the government could investigate it immediately.

"We are guarding against the possible entry of bird flu in the province because Himamaylan City was identified as one of the migratory pathways of migratory birds carrying the virus", Decena said.*DMG

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