SunStar
January 27, 2021
PRIOR to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020, there is another disease outbreak happening in our country. Instead of humans, this disease is affecting an important food source for many -- pork.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs caused by "a large DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family." Currently, there is no approved vaccine for the ASF.
Records from the OIE also show that the Philippines reported its first ASF outbreak in Rizal and Bulacan. Some 7,416 swine were killed and disposed of to prevent the further spread of the disease. According to the documents retrieved from OIE, the outbreak began in July 2019. It was reported to the OIE on September 9, 2019. The OIE report states that the source of the infection is suspected "swill feeding, then spread through illegal movement of already sick pigs that were being sold at a lower price."