Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol has ordered a ban on the entry of pork and other pork products from Japan after the country was placed on high alert over the possible spread of swine fever.

Pinol, in a Facebook post on Sunday, said he issued a verbal directive to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) through Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo Serrano to immediately impose a ban on the entry of pork and other pork products from Japan.

A written formal directive would be issued later, he said, adding that the temporary ban would be in effect while the quarantine officials are validating the reports with the OIE or the World Animal Health Organisation.

“In view of this, all quarantine officers in ports of entry all over the country are directed to implement this directive immediately,” said Pinol.

The Agriculture Secretary also advised the quarantine officials to review their Quarantine Protocols, including the foot baths installed at the ports of entry and the monitoring of all meat products being brought into the country by tourists.

A news report said that the Japanese agriculture ministry has strengthened the quarantine efforts at airports and ports after swine fever, which is an infectious livestock disease that affects pigs and other animals, was likely to spread throughout Japan.

Though the swine fever is not a risk to humans, OIE said this transboundary animal disease (TAD) can be spread by live or dead pigs, domestic or wild, and pork products.

“It is responsible for serious production and economic losses,” OIE said.

Transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and fomites (non-living objects) such as shoes, clothes, vehicles, knives, equipment etc., due to the high environmental resistance of swine fever virus. Ella Dionisio/DMS