Personnel from the Bureau of Animal Industry depopulate over 60 US-imported goats after detecting Q fever at a Marinduque breeding station. The goats, intended for a farmer dispersal program, tested positive for the zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. DA-BAI PHOTO
By Jaimes R. C. Sumbilon
The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) confirmed on Friday that Q fever has been detected for the first time in the Philippines in goats imported from the United States.
Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. It can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or their fluids.
During a press conference, Dr. Christian Daquigan, the officer-in-charge of BAI's National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division, reported that 19 samples from the imported goats tested positive for Q fever. These goats were initially purchased for a farmer dispersal program.
To mitigate the risk, all infected goats were culled in isolated farms in Pampanga and Marinduque. Even goats that had not been tested were culled to prevent any potential spread of the infection. A total of 94 imported goats were condemned.
“BAI is implementing stringent measures to control the disease and prevent its spread. We have depopulated the infected goats and are tracing potentially exposed animals,” Daquigan said.
He added that no major outbreak had occurred, as the infected animals were contained in a single area, preventing further transmission.
DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa announced that a fact-finding team has been established to investigate the situation. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. will issue a temporary ban on goat imports from the US until the source of the infection is traced.
The imported goats arrived in the Philippines on January 11 and were placed in a quarantine facility in Pampanga for a mandatory 30-day quarantine period, during which blood samples were collected and tested.
The initial ELISA tests, prompted by symptoms of Q fever in pregnant goats, showed positive results on February 6. Despite some goats being transferred to Marinduque, subsequent tests conducted on March 11 and confirmatory RT-PCR tests on June 19 and 20 also returned positive results for Q fever.
The fact-finding team will investigate why goats were moved to Marinduque despite the initial positive results in Pampanga.
Meanwhile, Daquigan assured the public that the meat and milk of local goats are still safe for consumption, provided they are properly cooked and pasteurized.
He confirmed ongoing coordination with local government units and the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure the safety of animals and humans, particularly farmers.
According to the DOH, human-to-human transmission of Q fever is rare, and the disease, which presents mild symptoms such as fever and fatigue, can be treated with readily available antibiotics.
Authorities, however, advise the public to avoid contact with potentially infected animals and to consult a doctor if exposure is suspected.