Seized canned meat positive for ASF

Canned meat products from Hong Kong that entered the country last March and seized by the government tested positive for African Swine Fever which has already destroyed the hog industry of China and many countries.

This prompted Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to call for stricter quarantine protocols in all points of entry in the country.

If possible, he wants the country to implement measures comparable to what is being implemented in bigger countries like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States.

Rachel Azul, a veterinarian at Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry, said the ASF viral gene has been detected in several Sky Dragon canned goods confiscated at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga in March. It was brought to the country from Hong Kong by a returning resident or “balikbayan.”

The pork luncheon meat was tested using the ASF Taqman Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay at the Philippines Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory.

This process is one of two validated PCR procedures described in the World Organization for Animal Health Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals.

This is the same protocol that was adopted in 2012 as the regional protocol for ASF detection by the FAO for the Regional Laboratory Network. Right now, it is used in at least 10 countries in Asia.

Valued at ₱260 billion, the Philippines' hog industry currently raises 12 to 13 million pigs. So far, no ASF infections have been reported in pigs here.

Azul noted that the detection of the ASF virus in seized canned products from Hong Kong does not change the country's ASF-free status.

"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," Azul said.