Hog imports have been suspended in the Philippines over the swine influenza that has affected Mexico, US and Canada even as the National Disaster Coordinating Council and the Department of Health said the dangerous strain hasn’t broken through the country.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said at press time there is no swine influenza outbreak in the Philippines and eating pork is safe.
“Consuming meat products continuously to be a safe activity, we’re calling this (virus strain) the Mexican Swine Influenza,” said Yap referring to the local term the NDCC has adopted as the more appropriate reference to the influenza strain (Swine Flu) believed to have originated from farm hogs in Mexico.
The World Health Organization has raised the pandemic alert to Phase 4 but government is not worried.
“Even though there’s a world-wide declaration of a Phase-4 event, the Philippines is classified as a non-affected country,” Defense Secretary and NDCC chair Gilbert Teodoro said, “But be that as it may, we have take all necessary steps to maintain if not improve our readiness to meet a theoretical pandemic should it affect the Philippines. The Department of Health will issue bulletins from time to time regarding the Mexican Swine Flu.”
Affected countries will have to rapidly contain the illness by preventing those with fever or under febrile conditions from leaving the country while those non-affected must heighten its surveillance, hospital and clinical care, logistics which will include medicines and supply, public information and advocacy.
Yap has ordered the temporary suspension of all hog and pork imports from afflicted areas and has mobilized concerned offices under the Department of Agriculture.
“I have ordered the Bureau of Quarantine to heightened alert in all airports and seaports to ensure that hand-carried meat products are thoroughly screened to prevent the entry of products from afflicted zones and the National Meat Inspection Service to monitor meat establishments and slaughter houses, inter-province movements of live hogs and products to ensure proper safety certification.”
Yap added that even the measures implemented during the height of the Reston Virus infections in Pandi, Bulacan are still operational.
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