Chinese Dumplings Seized In Philippines Tested Positive of African Swine Fever

• An undeclared shipment of meat products from China has been seized by officials in Manila, Philippines.
• The dumplings tested positive of the of African Swine Fever (ASF) virus, a contagious disease that could easily spread to domestic and wild pigs.

A shipment from China has been seized by authorities at the Manila North Harbor port in the Philippines According to the reports, the shipment contained meat products that tested positive for African Swine Fever (ASF).

This has been officially confirmed by the country’s Bureau of Customs (BOC). The agency said that the undeclared shipment was consigned to Dynamic M Intl Trading Inc and it did not have the required sanitary permit issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

BOC ordered immediate inspection and laboratory test on the meat products and the Veterinary Quarantine Services eventually detected the virus in the confiscated pork-celery dumplings.

Guillermo Pedro Francia IV, director collector of Manila International Container Port (MICP), said:

“Since the threat of the ASF was raised by the Department of Agriculture, Customs has always been proactive in preventing the entry of pork products in the country.”

The illegally exported meat products will be properly disposed to prevent further spread of the disease, an ABS-CBN report said. Currently, the Philippines has implemented a strict ban on pork products from China and other countries affected with ASF to curb the problem.

What is African Swine Fever?

The official website of the World Organization for Animal Health defines African Swine Fever as “a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.”

While it is not harmful to human health, ASF can cause widespread death among infected animals which may lead to economic loss. Symptoms of acute ASF could include anorexia, diarrhea, high fever, skin haemorrhages, and others. Mortality could go up as high as 100%.