Kalibo airport tightens watch vs ‘tainted meat products’

The Kalibo International Airport (KIA) in Aklan is conducting rigid quarantine measures to ward off the threat of African Swine Fever. Recently, airport authorities seized a total of 118.45 kilos of canned and processed meats during the entire month of May from South Korean and Chinese passengers arriving at the KIA. KIA / FACEBOOK

KALIBO, Aklan – Wary of the African Swine Fever (ASF), authorities of the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) intensified their watch against imported meat products.

In a bid to implement rigid quarantine measures, the airport has deputized quarantine officer Dr. Christine Lyn Melgarejo to conduct inspection of luggage of all incoming passengers from affected countries. The airport currently caters direct flights from Taipei, Incheon, mainland China, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

This week, the Bureau of Animal Industry and Kalibo Veterinary Office will dispose grams kilos of banned port products from passengers coming mostly from South Korea and mainland China.

A total of 118.45 kilos of meat products were already buried at a dumpsite in the capital town as of June 6. The canned and processed meats were confiscated during the entire month of May from travelers arriving at the KIA and bound to Boracay Island.

In Kalibo, the Municipal Veterinary Office intensified its “Bantay Karne” campaign to contain the deadly pork disease.

The Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council also requested the Department of Agriculture to acquire environmental-friendly incinerator to properly dispose the confiscated meat and pork products at the KIA.

ASF is a contagious hemorrhagic viral disease among domestic and wild pigs that can spread rapidly regardless of borders. Though ASF is not a risk to human health, it can still bring serious economic and production losses to the swine industry.

The swine fever, more recently, spread through China, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, South Korea, Moldova, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Czech Republic, Zambia, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, Czech Republic and South Africa. (With a report from PNA/PN)

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