Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban has issued the ban order after receiving a report submitted by Jorge Caetano Jr., director of the Department of Animal Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply in Brazil to the Office International des Epizooties, that there was an outbreak of FMD virus type "O" in Brazil.
The report further stated that the FMD outbreak was recorded in a farm in Eldorado district, Mato Grosso do Sul, in the southern part of Brazil. Panganiban also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation and issuance of veterinary quarantine clearance/international veterinary certificate/import permit for applications relevant to the importation of animals, products and by-products from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
He also ordered a stoppage and confiscation of all shipments of FMD-susceptible animals, their products and by-products that left Mato Grosso do Sul dated September 25 onwards as these are those of the animals or meat that are possible carriers of the type "O" virus. As of October 12 this year, the Philippines had imported a total of 19,923,247 kilos of beef from Brazil. - Jasmin R. Uy