 | #TECHNOTIPS: African Swine Fever |
 African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease affecting pigs, both domestic and wild. Although ASF is not a human health threat, the swine industry is gravely affected as fatality rate can be as high as 100%.As part of the efforts to save the hog industry and maintain food safety, all hog raisers are discouraged to travel to places where cases are prevalent since the virus can be transmitted in several ways. Factors influencing the transmission and spread of ASF include direct contact; ingestion of garbage/swill feeds containing unprocessed infected pig meat or pig meat products; ticks and biting flies; as well as contaminated premises, vehicles, equipment, and clothing.
The Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Animal Industry, urges small- and commercial-scale hog raisers to be vigilant and report any symptoms or mortality to the nearest veterinarian in their area. Likewise, the private sector is encouraged to help in disseminating information to the public by sharing posts, news, and other materials on ASF which can be downloaded at https://bai.gov.ph/index.php/asf-portal.
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(By: Angelica Marie Umali, ATI-ISD) |
