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Alert raised on hot meat from abroad
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Posted on Mar 26 1999
Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday ordered customs personnel to step up inspection of inbound cargoes for possible smuggling of meat products that may contain virus which causes Japanese encephalitis.
The governor called for tighter monitoring of goods entering the Northern Marianas in view of reports that the deadly mosquito-borne virus may spread to the region after it was reported that the disease killed 50 people in Malaysia.
The deaths had prompted Malaysian authorities to kill more than 1,500 pigs in a pig-raising district in that Southeast Asian country where an outbreak of the disease was reported.
There is no medical proof yet whether the virus can be transmitted by eating meat of infected animals, the governor underscored the need for stricter inspection of cargoes coming into the CNMI, which is largely dependent on imported products.
Medical doctors say the virus causes Japanese encephalitis, a type of disease that attacks the brain. Those infected with the virus suffer from high fever, vomiting and a coma. The virus is transmitted from animals to humans by mosquitoes.
According to reports, Philippine officials have intensified quarantine operations to prevent possible spread of the virus, fumigating all planes and boats entering that country.
A tight watch at all entry points in the Philippines has been implemented to deter entry of animals as well as people, especially those coming from Malaysia, possibly infected with the virus.
