DA confirms majority of samples from hogs turned positive of AFS

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday confirmed the majority of samples from hogs in the Philippines were found to be positive of African swine fever, according to a report of Allan Gatus on Dobol B sa News TV.

The samples were taken from hogs in three barangays in Rizal province where around 100 pigs had died last month. These were sent to the World Reference Laboratory in Pirbright, England to find out what caused the deaths.

The Pirbright Institute is designated as the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and as a reference laboratory for FMD by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), which is also the World Organisation for Animal Health or OIE- Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever.

“We received late last week the result of what we call polymerase chain reaction test. We submitted 20 samples …The result that we received is that out of the 20 samples, 14 are positive with the African swine fever,” DA Secretary William Dar said in a press conference on Monday.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an efficient and cost-effective way to copy or “amplify” small segments of DNA or RNA, according to biotechnology firm Roche. “Using PCR, millions of copies of a section of DNA are made in just a few hours, yielding enough DNA required for analysis. This innovative yet simple method allows clinicians to diagnose and monitor diseases using a minimal amount of sample, such as blood or tissue.”

In August, the DA placed three barangays in Rizal under quarantine after around 100 hogs died in the area.

Through its attached agency Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the DA set up quarantine checkpoints in areas within a 1-kiliometer radius of suspected farms—monitor the movement of live pigs, pork and pork products.

The bureau conducted surveillance within a 7-kilometer radius of the affected areas, limiting animal movement, and implemented mandatory disease reporting from farm owners within the 10-kilometer radius.

The City Health Office of Antipolo culled more than a thousand pigs on suspicion that the animals were infected by burying the hogs alive.

The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) criticized the move calling it inhumane and barbaric.

Dar said on Monday the hogs that died could have been infected either through canned meats sent by overseas Filipino workers or leftover food from restaurants that were turned into swill feed by farmers.

According to a September 5 report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the following Asian countries have beeb infected with the ASF:

• Mongolia

• Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

• China (including Hong Kong)

• Vietnam

• Lao People’s Democratic Republic

• Cambodia

• Myanmar

As of August, around 5 million pigs have died or been culled in Asia due to the ASF, FAO said.

After announcing the polymerase chain reaction test results confirmed the presence of ASF in the country, Dar and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III ate pork before members of the media to show the public that eating pork is safe since ASF has no effect on human health.

DA Sec. William Dar at DOH Sec. Francisco Duque III, ipinakita sa publiko na ligtas kainin ang karne ng baboy kasunod ng kanilang isinagawang “boodle fight.” | via @allangatus https://t.co/RJRZiy4rCO

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) September 9, 2019

On Friday, Agriculture spokesperson Noel Reyes said it safe to eat pork but cautioned consumers to buy only meat with the stamp of approval from the National Meat Inspection Service. —Joviland Rita/KG/VDS, GMA News