THE Department of Agriculture (DA) imposed a ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds from Southern California, following confirmed reports of a fatal viral disease affecting birds and poultry.

In its Memorandum Order 20 issued on July 9, 2018, the DA cited a report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), saying that the cities of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside were positive for the Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND), a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems of birds and poultry.