MANILA, Philippines – The city government of Manila has strengthened its monitoring against the entry of African Swine Fever (ASF) amid reports that several provinces have already been affected by the deadly pig disease.
Veterinary Inspection Board Chief Dr. Nick Santos said in a statement that the Manila VIB has “strengthened its monitoring task force, to check all possible point of entries and distribution channels, including markets and ports, as well as all cold storage facilities in the City of Manila, especially Tondo and Binondo area.”
Santos added that they are particularly monitoring against the sale of double-dead meat or ‘botcha’.
The official noted that because the city doesn’t have farms and hog-raisers, Manila has the lowest percentage of hog mortality rate despite the spread of the disease in nearby provinces.
“In this case, prevention is our top priority,” he added.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has confirmed an outbreak of ASF in several provinces specifically in Rizal and Bulacan.
The DA through Secretary William Dar assured, however, that the outbreak has been managed and that the virus has already been contained.
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