The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on Tuesday refuted claims of an alleged bird flu outbreak in Tarlac. This comes after chickens reportedly tested positive for bird flu in a commercial farm in the province.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture’s attached bureau clarified that it has not received any official report of such an outbreak from local authorities.

“Furthermore, there are currently no confirmed laboratory results reported in the area. The last officially confirmed case in the province was recorded on 20 December, 2023,” the statement read.

According to the BAI, their Animal Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory is the sole authority when it comes to officially detecting and confirming positive cases of bird flu through standardized testing protocols.

The public is likewise reminded to rely only on verified information and official statements from their office.