The hog industry stands to lose P250 billion should the African swine fever enter the country, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry.
At the National Academy of Science and Technology forum in Quezon City, Dr. Maria Glofezita Lagayan, BAI’s focal person for communication of the ASF Task Force, said the ASF virus can survive for 1,000 days even in frozen meat, and that it has the capacity to destroy livestock production.
“There is no known vaccine to prevent the virus,” she said.
“Biosecurity is the prevention,” she added.
She, however, said the ASF does not pose any health risks to humans.
“Roughly P250 billion would be lost if the ASF virus should enter the country,” she told the forum.
According to Lagayan, Taiwan is “very near” China “but Taiwan can effectively prevent the entry of ASF.”
“The head of Taiwan’s task force is its president,” she said.
In July, a series of public consultation would be held to formulate a contingency plan on ASF prevention.
Countries affected by the ASF disease felt a huge cut in their livestock industry.
The Department of Agriculture is closely monitoring the threat of ASF entering the Philippines through the entry of meat products, especially from Hong Kong.
The Philippine Veterinary Drug Association earlier said the disease may enter the country through siomai, dumplings and other processed food being sold by Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen.
The ASF has spread in some countries neighboring China, such as Mongolia, Russia, Cambodia, and Vietnam.