MANILA – Agriculture secretary William Dar on Monday said he ordered the conduct of laboratory tests to determine whether recent increase in the deaths of pigs is due to African swine fever or other diseases.
Dar declined to give exact figures on the 2-percent spike or identify the areas where it was observed.
“We have to be science-based, technology-based. Hintayin po natin yung resulta. Gagawin po natin ang lahat to respond to the final conclusion of what will be the result of the confirmatory tests,” Dar said.
The test results are due out in two weeks to three months, he said.
The affected areas have been under quarantine since Sunday and pigs within their 1-kilometer radius were culled, said Dar.
The incident should not trigger an increase in pork prices because the local supply is enough, he said.
In China, more
than 1.1 million pigs have been killed since the first cases of African swine
fever emerged in August 2018, according to an Agence France-Presse report.
Dar’s predecessor, former Agriculture secretary Emmanuel Pinol, banned pork
imports from 16 countries hit by the virus for which there is no vaccine. (ABS-CBN News)
