Manila Times
Upholding Truth. Empowering the Philippines
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025
The Nation's Story is Told with Honor
Philippines Reports First Case of H5N9 Bird Flu Virus
The Department of Agriculture confirms the detection of H5N9, amid ongoing concerns over avian influenza strains.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Philippines has announced the confirmation of the first case of the highly pathogenic Type A Subtype H5N9 bird flu virus.
Laboratory tests conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) confirmed the presence of this strain, which has been known to spread rapidly among bird populations and can cause severe illness in avian species.
The DA has indicated that while H5N9 poses significant risks to poultry, it represents a low risk to human health in general, especially without prolonged and repeated exposure.
H5N9 was first identified in the United States earlier in 2023 and is believed to be a mutation of previously circulating avian influenza strains.
This new detection comes at a time when the Philippines has recorded various outbreaks of bird flu in local livestock, including other variants such as H5N1, H5N2, and H5N6.
The most recent recorded outbreak in the Philippines involved the H5N2 strain, which occurred in January 2023.
During this incident, the virus affected 15 out of 428 backyard ducks in Camarines Norte, as reported by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The DA has emphasized the importance of monitoring and biosecurity measures to prevent potential outbreaks in domestic birds and to mitigate any risks to local livestock and poultry industries.
Authorities continue to assess the situation as it develops, maintaining vigilance against the spread of avian influenza.
Laboratory tests conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) confirmed the presence of this strain, which has been known to spread rapidly among bird populations and can cause severe illness in avian species.
The DA has indicated that while H5N9 poses significant risks to poultry, it represents a low risk to human health in general, especially without prolonged and repeated exposure.
H5N9 was first identified in the United States earlier in 2023 and is believed to be a mutation of previously circulating avian influenza strains.
This new detection comes at a time when the Philippines has recorded various outbreaks of bird flu in local livestock, including other variants such as H5N1, H5N2, and H5N6.
The most recent recorded outbreak in the Philippines involved the H5N2 strain, which occurred in January 2023.
During this incident, the virus affected 15 out of 428 backyard ducks in Camarines Norte, as reported by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The DA has emphasized the importance of monitoring and biosecurity measures to prevent potential outbreaks in domestic birds and to mitigate any risks to local livestock and poultry industries.
Authorities continue to assess the situation as it develops, maintaining vigilance against the spread of avian influenza.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
