SAN JOSE, Antique – The Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) Office has warned against the Newcastle disease that could attack poultry animals at this time of sudden change of weather.
Antique OIC-Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Florencio Macuja on Thursday said the Newcastle disease, which is caused by the paramyxovirus, may cause respiratory disease and profuse diarrhea to chicken, ducks, and geese.
These animals have to be vaccinated to prevent them from getting sick.
“As of now, we still have no reported case of Newcastle Disease but we are giving vaccines already for the animals’ protection,” he said.
He added that last August 11, they released 15 vials of vaccines to the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Laua-an.
ProVet received 25 vials of vaccines from the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office in Western Visayas last year and the remaining 15 vials were given to Laua-an.
“The MAO of Laua-an has requested for 15 vials of La Sota Strain vaccine which they could inject on their poultry animals,” he said.
He said that each vial of vaccine could be injected to 1,000 heads of poultry animals.
“The Antique provincial government has also purchased its own vaccine aside from that given by the DA which we could also give to the other MAOs who would be requesting for it,” he said.
He said it is important that the poultry animals be vaccinated while in good condition considering that the disease is already considered endemic in Antique.
“The disease could affect animals that have low resistance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Macuja said that the province is still free of African swine fever (ASF).
“We continue to implement the ban on pork and its by-products from Luzon and Mindanao where there are ASF cases” he said.
He said that the ban is intended to prevent local swine from contracting the ASF. (PNA)
