MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported Tuesday that intensified border control and surveillance testing in the country has helped contain the further spread of the African swine fever (ASF).
This came after the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) confirmed that 11 intercepted hogs from two trucks in livestock checkpoints in Quezon City and Valenzuela City on Aug. 17 were positive for ASF.
Transporters from the said trucks were reportedly using recycled local shipping permits.
The BAI also seized hogs from three trucks with 60, 87, and 14 hogs that tested positive for ASF in other checkpoints in Metro Manila.
“Una, effective iyong ating border control na in-establish para mahuli iyong mga nagpu-puslit ng mga fast break na baboy, iyong mga infected na baboy para mapigilan natin iyong pagkalat lalo from south to north or from north to south, ng ASF (The border control we established is effective in arresting those trying to smuggle infected hogs, and prevent the spread of ASF from south to north or from north to south),” DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said in a phone interview.
De Mesa also underscored the advantage of surveillance testing to identify the actual spread of ASF in the country.
“Mas dumadami rin kasi ngayon yung tinatawag natin na surveillance testing ng ASF. So, nagiging aktibo rin tayo dun sa pagsusuri (We also have increased what we call surveillance testing for ASF. So we are now more active in testing),” he said.
“Maganda rin ito na nakikita natin na talagang iyong mga areas na may ASF. Kesa yung walang testing, tapos, meron palang ASF, patuloy lalo na kakalat (This is good because we can really verify the areas with ASF. Instead of no testing, then there’s actually ASF, it will spread even more)," he added.
To date, biosecurity and surveillance checkpoints are located in Commonwealth, Mindanao Avenue, Tandang Sora, and EDSA Balintawak in Quezon City; Marulas and Malanday in Valenzuela City; animal quarantine checkpoint in Barangay Turbina, Calamba, Laguna; Star Tollway, Sto. Tomas, Batangas; and animal quarantine checkpoint in Barangay Amuyong, Alfonso, Cavite. (PNA)
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