Bacolod vet closely monitors possible entry of ‘swine flu’
BACOLOD CITY -- Close field monitoring of hogs in the city’s slaughterhouse in Brgy. Handumanan has been conducted by the Veterinary Office.
Bacolod City Veterinarian Dr. Adelo Daroy said they did it during the anti-mortem examination to determine whether it is positive for possible symptoms of the alleged swine influenza.
But Daroy stressed that this disease has not yet reached the Philippines and is only happening in Mexico and in the Unites States.
Common diseases they monitored in hogs like scouring and pneumonia are not even dangerous to human if the affected parts are condemned.
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however, human infections with swine flu do occur, and cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses has been documented.
As per record, from December 2005 through February 2009, a total of 12 human infections with swine influenza were reported from 10 states in the United States. Since March 2009, a number of confirmed human cases of a new strain of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in the U.S. and internationally have been identified. An investigation into these cases is ongoing.
Daroy advised the public to report any untoward situation to their office so that they can ask the assistance of Bureau of Animal Industry.
The agency will be the one to plan out measures for the quarantine to prevent the spread of the said disease to humans.
“We are praying that the said disease will not enter our country because as far I know our country is not prepared for this, and the vaccine as well is very expensive,” he added.