USDA: Goats exported to Philippines free of diseases

MANILA, Philippines — The imported goats that tested positive for Q fever were free of diseases when they arrived in the Philippines in January, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.

The USDA spokesperson said its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) unit is already aware that the Philippines has temporarily suspended the importation of live goats from the entire US following the incident.

“Our records indicate these goats were tested negative for Q fever in the United States in December 2023. The animals were exported and arrived in the Philippines on Jan. 11, 2024,” the official told The STAR.

“Q fever testing was then performed again by the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) during import quarantine on Feb. 6, 2024, with negative results,” the official added.

The USDA spokesperson said the additional Q fever tests conducted by the BAI on the imported goats last April 3, where some animals tested positive, were already beyond the incubation period for the disease.

“The incubation period for Q fever ranges from two (to) 48 days. The animals had been physically in the Philippines for 81 days prior to the Q fever test conducted on April 3, 2024,” the spokesperson said.

Agriculture Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier issued Memorandum Order (MO) 26 that formalized the temporary ban on the importation of live goats from the US.

Tiu Laurel ordered the ban after the recent importation of the live goats from US tested positive for Q fever last June 19.

“This is a developing issue. APHIS will continue to work with BAI to encourage transparent communication and swift removal of the ban to re-open market access for live goats,” the USDA spokesperson said.

Sources told The STAR that the temporary import ban has also affected the importation of goats under a dairy improvement project that is funded through US Public Law 480.

Under MO 26, live goat shipments from the US that are already in transit or loaded prior to the official communication of the import ban shall be allowed entry to the Philippines subject to quarantine rules and testing requirements.

A notice has been posted on the USDA-APHIS website indicating that the Philippines, as of June 26, temporarily imposed an import ban on live goats from the US.

Goats and sheep that are exported to Philippines must come from an area that does not have a disease outbreak, including Q fever, for the past six months, based on the guidelines posted on the USDA-APHIS website.

The animals must also test negative for any diseases 30 days prior to their export to the Philippines, according to the guidelines.