RP bans Aussie beef due to anthrax scare

The government has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of beef from Australia following reports of a possible anthrax outbreak in one of its cattle regions.

An official of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said that as a "precautionary and emergency" measure, the government is temporarily suspending the issuance of veterinary quarantine clearances for applications to import beef from the whole of Australia.

On the other hand, shipments on their way to the Philippines from Australia will be closely monitored.

The source said that until the authorities are able to determine the extent of the anthrax outbreak, the ban on Australian beef will stay.

The bulk of the Philippines' beef imports comes from Australia. From January to November this year, the country imported a total of 15.7 million kilos from Australia.

The ban does not cover live cattle. "Live cattle imports will still be allowed entry into the country, because animals infected with anthrax will not last 48 hours, so one can be sure that those that survived the trip are anthrax-free," said a BAI official, adding "the anthrax case reported is isolated and a total ban on both beef and live cattle imports will only be determined if new information on the extent of the outbreak is reported."

Anthrax is a bacterial disease which is prone to break out during prolonged drought periods, such as the one Australian cattle ranches are experiencing.

Unlike foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which is viral in nature, anthrax is a bacterial disease which is easier to control, especially if infected animals are incinerated and properly disposed.

Anthrax-infected beef can be detected if blood from choice cut beefs do not clot even after cooking or curing. In the case of live cattle, infected animals will experience bleeding of the ears and mouth and sudden death occurs within 48 hours.

If ingested by humans, it directly affects the cutaneous and respiratory systems, rendering the victims immobile, and eventually, succumbing to death.

The anthrax bacteria is soil-borne, and it can survive in alkalinic soil for 50 years, and thrives even better during prolonged droughts, when pasture grass is dry.

Australia’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Victoria last Monday, quarantineds a property near Swan Hill, about 350 kilometers northwest of Melbourne, after anthrax killed a Hereford heifer. The carcass was burned and the remaining cattle on the property were vaccinated. The ranch will be quarantined for another 42 days.

The Philippines imposed a ban on Australian beef and live cattle in 1999 after an isolated case of anthrax hit a cattle region in Australia. The ban however, was lifted by the Philippine government last year.

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara a former agriculture secretary, urged the DA to monitor developments related to a possible anthrax outbreak in Australia to see if there is a need to carry out further import restrictions on beef and feeder cattle from that country.

"There should be a close monitoring of the anthrax outbreak so that remedial measures can be put in place. Australia is a big supplier of beef and is the biggest source of feeder cattle for fattening," said Angara.