Labs upgraded with US help improve ASF response

IMPROVED LABORATORY facilities that were upgraded with US assistance have helped better contain the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak and the spread of other animal diseases, Agriculture Undersecretary William C. Medrano.

He said laboratories have been improved or established via a threat capacity-building program supported by the US Department of Defense’s Threat Reduction Agency.

“We can feel the impact of the laboratories that were strengthened, and they are now functioning well. They are reporting significant outputs in the early detection of diseases and also in the surveillance of diseases,” Mr. Medrano said in a television interview Wednesday.

The program, which started in September 2016, was valued at P1.1 billion. The US Embassy announced on June 17 that the final phase of the program was completed.

A total of seven regional animal diagnostic laboratories were either built or renovated under the program.

“These laboratories were really fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment for disease detection, diagnosis, and testing (to facilitate) early detection and testing of all transboundary animal diseases especially with ASF,” Mr. Medrano said. —