Philippines intensifies control over African swine fever
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered all government offices to implement measures to stop the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in the country, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said on October 24.
Manila (VNA) - Philippine President RodrigoDuterte has ordered all government offices to implement measures to stop thespread of African swine fever (ASF) in the country, his spokesman SalvadorPanelo said on October 24.
Accordingly, these offices include executive departments,bureaus, agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, governmentfinancial institutions and other instrumentalities of the government. Dutertehas directed them to coordinate, as well as to adopt policies and introducemeasures to manage, contain, and control ASF transmission.
Panelo said the President also asked the public to cooperatewith government agencies in order to prevent the spread of ASF.
The order came as dozens of pigs in Philippines' top hogproducing provinces like Bulacan, Rizal, Pampanga and Manila, are beinginfected with the virus.
Tens of thousands of pigs in the Philippines have so farbeen culled to prevent the virus from spreading, while processed pork productslike hotdogs and cured pork have tested positive for ASF virus.
On September 9, the Philippine Department of Agricultureconfirmed the first ASF outbreak in the country, which is the world's majorpork consumer. A total of around 12.7 million of hogs have been raised here.
ASF is harmless to humans but highly contagious and fatalfor pigs./.
More than 7,400 pigs have been culled as African swine fever caused the deaths of pig herds in at least seven villages near the Philippine capital of Manila, according to Department of Agriculture.
Blood samples from pigs in several farms in the Philippine capity city of Manila tested have positive for African swine fever, according to the country’s Department of Agriculture.
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Illustrative photo (Source: AFP/VNA) 
