The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a temporary ban on the import of live cattle and buffalo, as well as their products and by-products, from France and Italy following the confirmation of cases of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in these countries.
The ban also covers the import of embryos and semen.
The import ban does not include hides that are salt-treated or have undergone ante- and post-mortem; meal and flour from blood, meat other than skeletal muscle or bone; casings, gelatine, and collagen, tallow, hooves and horns; milk and milk products that have undergone pasteurization.
These import bans are specified in Memorandum Orders 43 and 44 issued on August 1, 2025.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., this step is a precautionary measure to protect the country’s livestock industry against LSD, a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects cattle and buffalo.
LSD causes fever and characteristic skin lesions in affected animals. It is usually transmitted by blood-sucking insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. Although rarely fatal, it can cause significant declines in milk production, weight loss, and disruption to trade.
In Italy, the outbreak was reported on July 18 in Orani, Nuoro, and Sardegna and confirmed by the National Reference Centre for Exotic Animal Diseases.
In France, a similar case was reported in Chambéry on June 23, which was confirmed by the French veterinary office.
According to the DA, the temporary ban is in accordance with international animal health standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and supported by existing regulations in the Philippines.
The ban will remain in place until further notice, while monitoring the prevention and eradication measures in the affected countries.
