DA: No cases of foot and mouth disease in PH

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday reported that there are still no cases of foot and mouth disease among animals in the Philippines.

The DA however is ready to respond should there be a reported case, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dante Palabrica said.

Palabrica added that cases have been reported in India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

“Right now, we have activated a system of reporting so that at the southern part of the country, mache-check natin ang pagpasok ng (we can check the entry of) foot and mouth (disease,)” he told reporters in an ambush interview.

Palabrica said he has created a technical working group to monitor the issue.

He also disclosed that vaccines against foot and mouth disease are expected to arrive in the country by June this year.

Half a million doses are to be stocked in DA freezers, he added.

“We’re now studying na mag-stockpile ng bakuna ng foot and mouth (disease). It’s in process by now. Para ‘pag pumutok, meron tayo agad bakuna. Ring vaccination. Ang nangyari sa Indonesia, it took them three months bago maka-react at makakuha ng bakuna,” Palabrica said.

(We’re now studying having a stockpile of vaccines for foot and mouth (disease). It’s in process by now. So that when a case is detected, we already have the vaccines. Ring vaccination. What happened in Indonesia was that it took them three months before they acted and were able to procure the vaccines.)

When asked if the disease has entered the country, Palabrica replied, “I can assure you, zero.”

“’Pag pumasok ‘yan, knock on wood, tatamaan ang cattle at saka baboy. Kung tatama ngayon, easily we can buy the vaccine. There are three companies available,” he added.

(When [the virus causing foot and mouth disease] enters [our country], knock on wood, it will affect cattle and hogs. If the virus strikes now, easily we can buy the vaccine.)

Palabrica explained that there have been no recorded cases of foot and mouth disease in the country for many years.

“For decades, hindi tayo nagbabakuna ng FMD so wala sa immune system ng mga alaga nating animal. Stranger ito eh. ‘Pag pumasok ito, sabog talaga ito. Unlike in their (other countries) case, they have been vaccinating,” he said.

(For decades, we have not been administering vaccines for FMD so the virus is not in the immune system of our animals. It is a stranger. If the virus enters the country, it will spread.)

But Palabrica stressed that there is nothing to worry about. “It’s a piece of cake. Ibig sabihin, madaling makontrol ‘yon (It means it will be easy to control).” —KG, GMA Integrated News