The Philippines has temporarily banned the import of domestic and wild birds and other poultry products from Argentina after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) was confirmed in the South American country.

Argentina reported the outbreak to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in August, prompting the Department of Agriculture (DA) to issue a memorandum order on Sept. 5, 2025 to protect the local poultry industry.

"We are imposing the import ban because the H5N1 subtype poses a serious risk to both poultry and public health," said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

"As directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the DA must protect not only food security but also public health," he said.

The ban covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and poultry semen. The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has been authorized to suspend all applications and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for these products from Argentina.

The Philippines' poultry industry has been hit hard by previous outbreaks, leading to the culling of millions of birds and costing hundreds of millions of pesos and thousands of jobs. As of Sept. 10, the province of Camarines Sur has been declared avian influenza-free, but eight other provinces across four regions remain affected by the virus.

The DA said it would continue to monitor global outbreaks to protect local producers and public health.