THE Department of Agriculture is aiming for the country to be free of African swine fever (ASF) by year-end, with a vaccine rollout seen this quarter.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a post-State of the Nation press conference on Tuesday that bidding for the vaccine was being finalized and expected to be ready by August.
“We’re forming a TOR (terms of reference), and hopefully by August, it will be out for bidding and awarding by September (and) the rollout should follow shortly after,” Tiu Laurel said at a briefing in Pasay City.
Currently, there is only one accredited anti-ASF vaccine from a firm in Vietnam. Tiu Laurel said a six-month trial would be conducted and if everything was okay and no problems were encountered, the vaccine would be approved for commercial use.
Meanwhile, on concerns about the Q fever, Tiu Laurel said the government had sent a team to the United States to investigate the source of the infection.
After a consultation with the US Department of Agriculture, Tiu Laurel said that records showed the imported goats likely contracted the disease in the Philippines.
“It appears that the disease is endemic here in the Philippines. However, it is not widespread and can be treated with available medicines,” he said.
The agri chief added they were still validating the assessment, but tests of goats from other areas turned out negative.
On the health of the individuals who handled the infected goats, Tiu Laurel said that everyone was now in good health, adding that antibiotics were an effective treatment. “It is very similar to fever and is manageable.”
The DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry confirmed last month the first case of Q fever in the country, detected in a group of imported goats in Marinduque.
Out of 94 imported goats from the US, 19 tested positive for the disease.
Q-fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii, and no cure or vaccine is available for the disease. The DA said that infected animals often show no signs of the disease, which can be transmitted to humans through goat products, urine, feces and milk.
Be the first to comment