The towns of San Isidro and Jaen in Nueva Ecija have been placed under a state of calamity after the area tested positive for the avian flu virus, the provincial government said Monday.

"Ito ay para ma-contain ang virus ng bird flu at magamit din ng mga munisipyo ang sarilinilang Calamity Fund para sa pag-iwas at sa rehabilitasyon," Nueva Ecija Governor Czarina Umali said in a statement.

The government has ordered the culling of all fowls within the 1-kilometer radius from where the virus was first spotted. Poultry from farms within the 7-kilometer radius was banned from being transported to other parts of the country.

The Department of Agriculture will be pay farmers P80 for each fowl culled, while the local government will also earmark funds to help affected farmers cope with losses, the governor said.

Umali called on her constituents to help the government curb the spread of the avian disease by immediately reporting incidents of animal deaths in their area.

"Mapapanatili po nating maliit ang saklaw ng mga apektadong lugar kung maagap ponating maiuulat sa ating mga kawani sa Kapitolyo ang anumangpagkakasakit ng mga hayop sa inyong mga lugar," Umali said.

The Department of Agriculture earlier said the bird flu outbreak in Pampanga was not immediately contained after a poultry owner hid the sudden deaths in his stock.