Authorities intercept 70 ASF-infected hogs

MANILA, Philippines — Local authorities condemned a shipment of hogs seized at a checkpoint in Quezon City after it tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said on Friday.

The BAI said a shipment containing 70 hogs, intercepted at a checkpoint along Mindanao Avenue, showed clear clinical signs of ASF. They condemned the confiscated hogs as tests revealed that they tested positive for ASF.

The BAI and the Philippine National Police have intercepted almost 500 ASF-infected pigs nationwide since creating checkpoints in August. Likewise, they flagged and seized meat products found with forged certificates of meat inspection and tampered manufacturing dates.

“These products, which pose significant health risk to consumers, were immediately confiscated,” it said. “Had the nearly 500 pigs made it past checkpoints, they could have reached key provinces such as Ilocos, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bulacan and Cagayan, significantly worsening the ASF crisis and endangering public health,” it added.

Early this week, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency was targeting to complete the procurement of 600,000 doses of ASF vaccines by end-December.

READ: DA targets to finish ASF vaccine procurement by end of 2024

READ: African swine fever hits parts of Cagayan, Isabela, N. Vizcaya

The Department of Agriculture had earmarked P350 million for the vaccination program: P300 million for the procurement of about 600,000 doses of Vietnamese-made ASF vaccines and P50 million for inoculation-related costs.