Philippines reports more African swine fever outbreaks

* The Philippines' Department of Agriculture on Monday said it has detected more African swine fever outbreaks in the country, such as in a village in Antipolo, Rizal, east of the Philippine capital Manila, and some areas in central Luzon

* There are now 12 villages with backyard farms affected by the disease -- two in Metro Manila and 10 in nearby Rizal and Bulacan provinces -- excluding those central Luzon areas that Agriculture Secretary William Dar declined to identify * The Philippines, the world's 10th-largest pork consumer and seventh-biggest pork importer, declared its first outbreak of the virus on Sept. 9, with more reported in less than two weeks

* The deadly and highly contagious disease, for which there is no cure nor vaccine though it does not affect people, poses a big threat to the nation's $5 billion hog industry, but Dar said there is no epidemic in the country * Dar, meanwhile, appealed to local government executives not to restrict domestic food trade, after the provinces of Cebu and Bohol in central Philippines announced a ban on the entry of pork and pork-based products from those hot spots