Abra on alert vs FMD spread

BANGUED, Abra — Provincial authorities have put up measures to curb the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) after hogs in four barangays were found positive for one of its strains.

Veterinarian Diosdado Taverner, head of the provincial task force on FMD, said blood samples of hogs from barangays Cosili East, Cosili West, Calaba and Zone 7 were sent to the Bureau of Animal Industry in Quezon City and tests showed they were positive for the "O" strain of the livestock disease.

The FMD virus was traced to 30 hogs from La Union early last month. The animals became ill, forcing local agriculture officials to kill and dispose of them.

La Union authorities, however, denied there was an FMD outbreak in their province, saying the hogs could have been infected while being transported. — Ave Bello