BUKIDNON – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said a mobile laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art animal health diagnostic technologies designed and created by a local veterinary research and diagnostics company BioAssets Corp. is now ready for use in Bukidnon province.
The DOST officially launched and turned over the laboratory to the Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Maramag town. The mobile laboratory can detect African swine fever and other zoonotic flu viruses.
The mobile bio-containment
laboratory, the first of its kind in the country, will initially serve hog and
poultry breeders in Bukidnon, and it can serve an estimated 5-10 farms per day
that require diagnostic tests for livestock, according to Dr. Homer Pantua,
President and Co-founder of BioAssets Corp.
Pantua explained that the test is
equivalent to pooling and testing 150-250 samples in one location, thus, the
establishment of the said mobile laboratory will support rapid response to
potential outbreaks and improve disease surveillance, allowing farmers and
veterinarians to craft mitigation strategies, preventive and control
measures as needed.
Bukidnon province has the highest
production of 137.28 thousand metric tons of live weight in 2021, according to
statistics. In its 22 municipalities, there are currently 16,007 backyard hog
raisers and 71 commercial hog raisers. A total of 251 poultry farms were also
recorded to be operating in the province in December 2021.
“With a significant number of hog
and poultry raisers in Bukidnon, the first-ever mobile laboratory must be made
available in the area to support disease diagnostics,” Pantua said.
CMU President Dr. Jesus Antonio
Derije lauded the BioAssets Corp. and DOST for working together to support the
university's College of Veterinary Medicine in fulfilling its commitment to
bring innovative tools to resource-limited areas. (Mindanao Examiner)
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