PROJECT #1 (2023): Epidemiology and Genotyping of African swine fever, Luzon

PUBLICATION: Venturina VM, Gundran RS, Rafael RB, Salvador RT, Salinas MBS, Balagan EJY, Valdez PM, Soriano AP, Medina NP, Garcia GG, Dela Cruz MR, Salazar LKP, Parayao LP, Fabros DM Jr, Brown CC, Faburay B. Surveillance and Management Strategies for African Swine Fever (ASF) in Central Luzon, Philippines. Pathogens. 2025 Oct 2;14(10):995. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/10/995

This study assessed ASF detection and farm-level risk factors in Central Luzon using a risk-based surveillance framework. Pooled blood samples from five pigs per farm were collected in 277 farms across seven provinces and tested by real-time PCR. Detection varied by province, with high rates in Bataan (80.5%) and Nueva Ecija (55.0%), moderate detection in Zambales (24.3%), lower detection in Pampanga (5.0%) and Tarlac (20.0%), and no positives in Aurora or Bulacan. Firth-penalized logistic regression identified the absence of perimeter fencing as the only statistically significant predictor of ASFV detection. These results highlight structural and professional biosecurity gaps, emphasizing the need for expanded veterinary outreach, fencing support, and training to mitigate ASF risk in smallholder-dominated production systems.

PROJECT #2 (2024): Surveillance for Ebola virus antibodies and virus in pigs and bats, Luzon

PENDING - PROJECT #3 (2026): Field and Laboratory Assessment of ASF and CSF Vaccination and Virus Circulation in the Philippines