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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
[1]
Date: Sun 1 Feb 2009
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer [edited]
<http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20090201-186729/Salmonella-infection-in-pigs-rises>
Salmonella infection in pigs rises
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Salmonella has recently infected more than 750 pigs in a town in
Samar but agriculture officials said there was no cause for alarm.
Leo Caneda, executive regional director of the Department of
Agriculture, said at a meeting that 84 pigs out of some 8900 pigs in
Sta. Rita, a town in Samar 40 km [24.8 miles] away from Tacloban
City, had died of salmonella infection. Caneda said the salmonella
infection started in December last year [2008] but was reported to
the DA only on 20 Jan 2009.
Some mayors from Samar, government agriculturists and veterinarians
attended the meeting in Tacloban City on Friday [30 Jan 2009].
Caneda said a quick response team from his office conducted a 2-day
animal health mission on 28-29 Jan 2009 in the villages, treating
sick pigs and conducting an information drive on salmonellosis and
how to deal with it. Caneda also said he would lead a quick response
team to Daram, Samar this week to validate a report that several pigs
have shown signs of salmonella infection in 6 villages of the island town.
Dolores Mustacisa, Daram municipal agriculturists, reported during
the meeting that 10-15 pigs from each of 6 barangays in their town
have manifested signs of salmonella infection, such as loss of
appetite, diarrhea and high fever. Mustacisa identified the villages
as Birawan, Soong, Calawan-an, Pondang, Buno-anon and Astorga.
Sta. Rita Mayor Kim Adolfo said sick pigs in his municipality were
either stray animals or from backyard piggeries that don't observe
proper hygiene and sanitation. Adolfo said he had initiated the
setting up of a checkpoint in Barangay San Juan to prevent the
transport of sick and slaughtered pigs from his town to other places,
especially Tacloban City, which is just at the other end of the San
Juanico Bridge.
Dr. Eunice Alcantara, Tacloban City veterinarian, said the city
government has also set up checkpoints in the city.
[Byline: Vicente Labro]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[2]
Date: Mon 2 Feb 2009
Source: GMANEWS.TV [edited]
<http://www.gmanews.tv/story/146908/Intensified-drive-vs-salmonella-sought-in-Visayas#>
Intensified drive vs salmonella sought in Visayas
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The Department of Agriculture has called on local government units in
Eastern Visayas to intensify security measures after cases of
salmonella infection have spread to this city and the island
municipality of Daram in Samar province. Local officials believed
that the incident in nearby areas was triggered with transport of
animals from the town of Sta. Rita in Samar where 760 pigs were affected.
To avert the problem, the quick response team of the Agriculture
department recommended the following: a ban on the movement of pigs
from infected to non-infected areas; isolation, treatment and therapy
for infected animals; ban on slaughtering of sick pigs; and setting
up checkpoints in strategic places.
"We have to make sacrifice this time. It is very risky to transport
hogs from infected areas even those that are healthy," said
Agriculture Regional Executive Director Leo Caneda in a meeting with
town mayors in the 2nd district of Samar.
In a report, Agriculture officials confirmed that "most of the sick
pigs from Sta. Rita town were slaughtered and some were sold to
Tacloban City while dead carcasses were buried, thrown to the sea,
rivers and canals."
City veterinary office chief Eunice Alcantara said there were
sporadic cases of suspected salmonella infection in some Tacloban
villages last week. "We cannot confirm that it's salmonella
infection. We're not able to get samples since people resorted to
early slaughter after animals have shown some symptoms of the
disease," she told BusinessWorld.
Most of the reports are from the northern villages of the city.
Checkpoints were set up in Diit village and Marasbaras district to
check shipments from neighboring Leyte towns. Tacloban City Mayor
Alfred Romualdez earlier issued a notice to residents to report any
occurrence of salmonella infection.
In Daram, Samar, municipal agriculturist Dolores Mustacisa said at
least 7 villages in their island municipality have reported cases of
salmonella infection among backyard-raised pigs. An estimated 70 pigs
have been infected. "It was reported to us after people slaughtered
their animals. People are not aware. We have strengthened our
monitoring to get samples before the death of hogs with active
cases," Ms. Mustacisa said.
The Agriculture department has imposed a ban on slaughtering of sick
pigs as this would trigger the further spread of the animal disease.
Improper disposal of leftover meat is one of the major factors
attributing to the rising case of salmonella.
San Sebastian (Samar) Mayor Arnold Abalos said he has asked for
vigilance among village officials. "We have already conducted
information dissemination to prevent the disease from affecting the
livelihood of our swine raisers," said Talalora Mayor Cornelio Bersales.
Sta. Rita Mayor Lisandro Kim Adolfo said they have been asking for
additional policemen to man checkpoints. The Agriculture department
said a total of 84 pigs have died and 676 others are infected. The
reported nearly 300 mortalities included those that were slaughtered,
said Leo Mira of the regional animal quarantine office.
[Byline: Sarwell Q. Meniano]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland
[The information on clinical and epidemiological aspects of the
described syndrome, which reportedly affected domestic pigs in
several Eastern Visayas villages, is rather incomplete.
According to item 1 above, The animals suffer from anorexia,
diarrhea, high fever and mortality. Such signs can be attributed to
several porcine pathogens. The possible, primary or secondary role of
Salmonella in this outbreak is in need of laboratory confirmation,
while these investigations deserve to include also screening for
other porcine pathogens. Clinical signs of Salmonellosis, primarily
diarrhea, can also mask or interfere with signs caused by other
pathogens. The need for caution regarding the alleged Salmonellosis
etiology is also apparent from the remark by Tacloban City's chief
veterinary officer who said, "We cannot confirm that it's salmonella
infection. We're not able to get samples since people resorted to
early slaughter after animals have shown some symptoms of the
disease." In case Salmonella, either primary or secondary, is indeed
involved, then the public health aspects of the event will have to be
addressed as well. Notably, such aspects are not mentioned in the
above newswires.
The recent established presence of Ebola-Reston virus in pigs in
another part of Philippines may provide justification for testing in
Eastern Visayas as well; see item 3 in posting 20081220.4008.
Exclusion of ER virus in Visayas will be relieving.
For map of Eastern Visayas, see
<http://www.blancsablon.com/Philippines/map/pictures/philippine-map-leyte-samar-region-8.jpg>.
- Mod.AS]
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