MANILA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle and buffalo, as well as their products and by-products, from France and Italy following confirmed outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), the country's Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday.
The ban, contained in the department's memorandum orders issued on Aug. 1, also covers embryos and semen.
Exempted from the import ban are hides that have been salt-treated or subjected to ante- and post-mortem; meal and flour from blood, meat other than skeletal muscle or bones; casings, gelatine and collagen, tallow, hooves and horns; and milk and milk products subjected to pasteurization, the department said.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the measure is a precautionary step to safeguard the country's livestock industry from LSD, a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects cattle and water buffalo.
In Italy, the outbreak was reported on July 18. And France reported a similar outbreak on June 23.
The import restriction will remain in effect until further notice, pending developments in containment and eradication efforts in the affected countries, the DA said. ■
