Measures preventing spread of animal diseases planned

The Agriculture chief wants to keep the Philippines free from major animal diseases and boost its livestock and poultry industry.

Following the African swine disease that threatened the country’s P260-billion swine industry, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now keen on establishing strong and functional animal disease diagnostic laboratories nationwide.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar issued Department Order (DO) 13 series of 2019, known as “Enhancement of the Biosafety and Biosecurity Capabilities at the Department of Agriculture (DA) Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories” or the “BSS project.”

The project is being implemented by DA in collaboration with the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (US DTRA).

This development, according to Dar, will protect and keep the Philippines free from major animal diseases and boost its livestock and poultry industry.

Upon the approval of US DTRA in June 2018, DA has expanded the coverage of the project to include the construction and equipment provision for the National Anthrax Reference Laboratory in Tuguegarao City.

The DA also extended the training and development of a Laboratory Information Management System as well as the improvement of a DA Integrated Laboratory Engineering Master Plan.

“Through the issued DO, we are supplementing provisions in the forms of modifications and additional components under the expanded coverage of the BSS project,” Dar said.

One of the modifications and additional components under the expanded BSS project includes the construction of and equipment provision for an Anthrax Laboratory in Tuguegarao City.

Anthrax, with its infectious characteristics that can cause severe illness in both animals and humans and can be transmitted by contact with the bacteria’s spores in an infected animal, have been used as a biological warfare agent.

“In the Philippines, Anthrax was found to be endemic in Cagayan Valley Region,” Dar added.

To enhance the diagnostic capability of the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Anthrax Reference Laboratory is being proposed to be constructed in Tuguegarao City. The lab serves as the center for isolation of Bacillus anthracis and research on anthrax.