Philippine President Declares Nationwide State Of Calamity Over African Swine Fever

Philippine President Declares Nationwide State of Calamity Over African Swine Fever

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has announced a one-year state of calamity over an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the country

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2021) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has announced a one-year state of calamity over an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the country.

The disease has been confirmed in 493 cities and municipalities of the country's 12 regions.

"There is hereby declared a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines on account of the ASF outbreak, for a period of one (1) year beginning this date, unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant," Duterte said in a statement, signed on Monday and posted by the government earlier in the day.

African swine fever is caused by a virus of the same name, which is not dangerous to humans but leads to the death of domestic pigs, as well as other pig family species, within days of being infected. Only strict quarantine is said to be capable of stopping the disease from spreading.