DA bars entry of animals, animal merchandise from Slovakia on FMD fears

In keeping with Memorandum Order No. 21, the DA acknowledged the necessity to forestall the entry of the FMD virus and “shield the well being of the FMD-susceptible animal inhabitants” thus the short-term ban on animals and animal merchandise from Slovakia, which reported FMD instances final month.

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The directive dated April 3 prohibits the entry of skeletal muscle meat, casings, tallow, hooves and horns, in addition to dwell swine, bovines, and water buffaloes (household Suidae, household Bovidae, household Cervidae), together with semen.

It excludes ultra-high temperature milk and derivatives, heat-treated meat merchandise in hermetically sealed containers, protein meal, gelatine, in vivo-derived bovine embryos, and limed hides, pickled pelts, and semi-processed leather-based.

The DA has suspended the processing, analysis and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) for these commodities.

All shipments from Slovakia both in transit, loaded, or accepted into port earlier than the Philippine authorities transmitted a replica of this memo to Slovakian authorities will likely be accepted so long as the commodities had been slaughtered or produced on or earlier than March 06 and examined unfavourable for FMD virus upon arrival on the port of entry.

The company issued the order after Slovakia reported FMD instances affecting home cattle in Dunajska Streda, Trnavsky, to the World Organisation for Animal Well being (WOAH) on March 21.

In keeping with the WOAH, FMD is a extreme, extremely contagious viral illness of livestock with a big financial impression. It impacts cattle, swine, sheep, goats and different cloven-hoofed ruminants.

“It’s a transboundary animal illness (TAD) that deeply impacts the manufacturing of livestock and disrupts regional and worldwide commerce in animals and animal merchandise,” it mentioned.

Though the virus is endemic in a number of components of Asia, the WOAH famous that the Philippines is FMD-free and vaccination is just not practiced.

Alternatively, numerous information experiences mentioned Slovakia declared an emergency scenario final month after recording six outbreaks in latest weeks.