DOST assists Batangas LGU in fight vs ASF
November 6, 2022 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is providing funding assistance to the Batangas provincial government to help their livestock raisers get access to the locally developed rapid diagnostic kits to detect African swine flu virus (ASFV).
Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and Emelita Bagsit, DOST-Region 4-A director, signed the agreement for the collaboration on the adoption of the ASFV nanogold biosensor test kit technology developed by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) for the benefit of the Batangas livestock raisers.
The ASFV nanogold biosensor test kit is a nucleic acid-based assay that combines LAMP and nanotechnology where gold nanoparticles are used to aggregate with amplified DNA genetic materials after amplification to visualize the reaction after 30 minutes. The test can be done on samples collected from the live animal such as blood, feces and saliva or oral fluids and from inanimate objects such as raw meat and other tissues, surface swab and water.
The DOST has also provided assistance to a private sector-led research and development center in Santo Tomas, Batangas developing a vaccine against the ASFV.
ASF is a viral disease that infects pigs at all stages. It causes hemorrhage in the skin and internal organs of the swine leading to its eventual death. While ASF cannot be transmitted to humans, it significantly affects the swine industry in countries with reported ASF cases, including the Philippines.
