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Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Don’t worry despite swine fever–Dar

Agriculture Secretary William Dar assured the public on Wednesday that there was nothing to worry about swine fever despite confirming last month that there were incidents of hog deaths in some provinces.

The findings of his department into the swine disease would be out on Friday, he said.

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Last month, Dar ordered the conduct of laboratory tests following a two-percent hike in the deaths of pigs in backyard farms.

Dar said quarantine measures were in place.

“Even if it’s positive, but much better if it’s negative, we have quarantine and food safety measures in place all over the country,” he told Palace reporters.

Five areas have been placed under quarantine but the Department of Agriculture refused to identify these provinces.

Some areas in Luzon have recorded suspected cases of African swine fever which causes high fever, loss of appetite, hemorrhages, and death among domestic and wild pigs.

Dar also ordered earlier that all pigs within their one-kilometer radius be culled.

He has also created a crisis management team to address the threats.

Dar’s predecessor, Emmanuel Pinol, banned pork imports from 16 countries hit by the virus for which there is no vaccine.

Dar was appointed as Agriculture chief a month ago, a post he had assumed two decades ago during the term of former president Joseph Estrada.

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