The Philippines is eyeing to secure a certification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as a Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)-free country, according to a Department of Agriculture (DA) document.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 8 which outlined guidelines for the conduct of seroprevalence of CBPP in cattle and water buffalo in the country project.
“The project aims to determine the seroprevalence of CBPP in cattle and water buffalo in the Philippines using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA] test,” Dar said in his MC issued recently.
Dar said results of the study would be used by the government to “substantiate” its application to the OIE to certify the Philippines as a CBPP-free country.
“The long-term aim of the project is to support the development and expansion of the livestock industry amid the recovery efforts of the country from the devastation caused by African swine fever, to attain food sufficiency goals as well as improve its competitiveness in the international market,” Dar said.
The project will run for 2 years to be undertaken by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), and National Dairy Authority (NDA) in coordination with the DA regional field offices and local government units.
Dar noted that the Philippines is “historically free from CBPP, thus, vaccination nor any eradication measures against CBPP has never been conducted nationwide.” However, Dar pointed out that there is a need to establish the baseline status in the country for the effective development of animal health and disease control programs, particularly on emerging diseases.
“Nevertheless, BAI is cognizant of possible disease incursion or introduction of this novel disease, thus CBPP is included in the list of important diseases for monitoring and immediate notification,” he said.
“The current disease surveillance programs of the government do not include pathogen-specific for CBPP as the disease has never been observed in the country,” he added.
CBPP is a highly contagious disease of cattle and water buffalo caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp.Mycoides and listed as one of the notifiable diseases by the OIE, according to the DA.
“Historically, CBPP is among the causative agents for the world’s great cattle plagues, which was known to have occurred as early as the 16th century. Susceptible animals to disease include bovids,” it added.
The OIE said the CBPP, which is a prominent cattle disease in Africa, is highly contagious with a mortality rate of up to 50 percent, causing significant economic losses.
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