MANILA, Philippines — Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro assured on Wednesday that Marikina River is free from African swine fever(ASF).
“Based on the ASF virus analysis of the Laguna Lake Development Authority, Marikina River tested negative for ASF,” Teodoro said.
“Maybe because we were able to quickly retrieve the carcasses of the pigs; that’s why the level of contamination is not so much,” he added.
Teodoro said that the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) took water samples from three stations to test from ASF.
These areas were Circulo Verde in Pasig; Boundary of Jesus Dela Pena and Sta. Elena; and Bayabas St. in Barangay Nangka.
His statement stemmed after about 65 dead pigs were recovered in the Marikina River last September.
READ: Marikina will sue those who dumped 56 dead pigs in river
Following the test conducted, Teodoro said that as per the Bureau of Fishes and Aquatic Resources, the fishes coming from the Marikina River are also safe to eat.
Despite this, pollutants in the said river increased “but not to the point that it went beyond the regulatory limit of the Food and Drug Administration.”
“Nag-increase ang pollutants dahil tumaas ang biochemical oxygen demand, but the fact remains na ‘yung isda noong tinest sa Ecoli and Staphylococcus Aureus, is below the regulatory limit. Meaning safe to consume and eat ang mga isda sa Marikina River,” Mayor Teodoro said.
(The pollutants increased because biochemical oxygen demand increased, but the fact remains that the fish tested of Ecoli and Staphylococcus Aureus, is below the regulatory limit. Meaning it’s safe to consume and eat the fish in Marikina River.)
“Salmonella ay absent sa water, wala siya. Iyong Staphylococcus Aureus, kapag mayroon, it causes gastroenteritis. Ang Salmonella naman, typhoid ang makukuha,” he added.
(Salmonella is absent from the water. If there’s Staphylococcus Aureus, it causes gastroenteritis. And you can get typhoid from Salmonella.) /je