Canned meat seized from OFW in Clark Airport detected with African swine fever —Piñol

The canned meat products seized from a returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Clark Airport last March have tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said Friday.

Citing a report by Dr. Rachel Azul of the Bureau of Animal Industry's virology section, Piñol said the ASF has been detected in confiscated canned goods brought from Hong Kong by an OFW on March 25, 2019 at the Clark International Airport in Clarkfield, Pampanga.

To recall, in March, a returning OFW at the Clark Airport sought the help of the media to retrieve the confiscated canned goods confiscated amid the tight security against the entry of pork products into the Philippines from ASF-hit countries.

"The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said the viral DNA was isolated in pork luncheon meat and was tested using the ASF Taqman PCR Asssay at the ADDRL (Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory)," Piñol said in a Facebook post.

Despite the detection of the virus in the seized canned meat products, Piñol said this does not change Philippine’s ASF-free status.

"So far, no African swine fever infections have been reported in pigs in the country," he said.

"The seizure is a warning for the industry and an acknowledgment of the catastrophic threat on our doorsteps."

If introduced, ASF would have a significant impact on pig health and production and contribute to enormous economic losses, Piñol said. —Ted Cordero/KBK, GMA News