Baguio remains ASF-free

BAGUIO CITY—All pork and pork products here are safe from African swine fever (ASF) infection because of stringent safeguards being implemented by the Benguet provincial government.

City Veterinarian Brigit Piok said the provincial government had imposed a ban on pork, pork products and live swine from all ASF-affected areas as part of efforts to protect its swine industry from the deadly and highly contagious viral disease.

With the prohibition, all pork, no pork and pork products from Quezon City, Quezon Province, Bulacan, Pasig, Caloocan, Rizal and Marikina are allowed entry to Baguio even if the products were issued veterinary health certificates, meat inspection certificates and shipping permits.

Piok said all meat and meat products intended for the city’s markets pass through the quarantine checkpoints set up in various municipalities like Tuba, Sablan, Mankayan, among others.

The Benguet Veterinary Office had been advised to furnish the National Meat Inspection Service national office, Bureau of Animal Industry and Food and Drug Administration with a copy of the provincial order imposing the ban so that they will refrain from issuing clearances for pork deliveries from said banned areas.

The ASF does not affect humans and infects just pigs with a high mortality rate of 99 percent, according to Piok.

“Pork infected with the disease is safe for human consumption. However, people can be carriers of the disease so that when we bring home contaminated meat, whether fresh or frozen, we can infect live pigs and this can easily spread,” Piok explained.

Its impact is strongly felt on the economy because the ASF can wipe out the swine industry, cause meat prices to spiral and force the country to resort to pork importation.