STRICTER BORDER CONTROL. Bureau of Animal Industry National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division officer-in-charge Dr. Christian Daquigan assures stricter control measures in the country's borders following the reported cases of Q fever in imported goats from the United States, during an interview aired over Radyo Pilipinas on Wednesday. He said a temporary ban on imported goats from the US is already in effect.
The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) on Wednesday urged livestock farmers to report sick animals to prevent outbreaks in the country.
This came after the DA-BAI depopulated 94 imported goats from the United States in “secluded” farms in Pampanga and Marinduque, after testing positive for the country’s first logged cases of Q fever.
Q fever is a zoonotic disease that may be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or their excreta or body fluids.
“We should report suspicious developments in our livestock because through it, we can help prevent the spread of diseases in the country,” BAI National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division officer-in-charge Dr. Christian Daquigan said in an interview aired over Radyo Pilipinas.
Daquigan said local livestock farmers may directly coordinate with the DA’s municipal offices if any symptoms are observed in their animals, whether or not it is related to Q fever.
“If we detect sickness in our livestock, we should not hide it. We should not be afraid of consulting our local veterinarian, provincial vet,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Daquigan assured more stringent border measures and wider surveillance in Pampanga and Marinduque.
“We have intensified our border control, especially on goats coming from the US, we already have a temporary ban on goats from the US," he said.
To date, there were no reports of livestock farmers in affected farms in Marinduque and Pampanga being infected by Q fever. (PNA)
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