Manila, March 7 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday said imported domestic and wild birds, as well as its by-products from three more US states are temporarily banned to prevent the spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or bird flu.

According to Memorandum Order 14 signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on March 14, several outbreaks of the HBN1 strain were reported in Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania, confirmed by the US authorities on Feb. 20.

The first outbreak was logged in Jay County, Indiana on Jan. 3 followed by Suffolk County in New York on Jan. 17, and Dauphin County in Pennsylvania on Feb. 4.

Under the import ban, the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (...