The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has debunked recent rumors about a supposed bird flu outbreak in Tarlac.
"We would like to clarify that the BAI has not received any official report of such an outbreak from the local authorities in Tarlac," the BAI stated in a recent announcement on Tuesday.
The BAI noted that there are still no confirmed laboratory results for the area, as the last confirmed case was reported back in December 2023.
The Bureau emphasized that only the BAI Animal Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory (ADDRL) is authorized to detect and confirm positive cases of bird flu through its testing protocols.
"The BAI takes the health and safety of our poultry industry very seriously," the statement continued.
"We urge the public and media to rely on verified information and official statements from the BAI," it added.
