The Manila Veterinary Inspection Board (VIB) warned the public against buying contaminated meat following a viral video of rodents feasting on meat products at a store in Manila.

"Kailangan maging masuri sa mga karneng binibili nila. Kailangan malinis, mapula, at may permit ng rehistradong katayan (They need to be cautious of the the meat they are buying. The meat must be clean, red, and has a permit from a registered meat slaughterhouse)," Dr. Nick Santos, Manila VIB chief, said on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

The VIB chief said the viral video where more than five big rats were seen feasting on the meat at a store in Paco, Manila, was first uploaded on Facebook in September this year.

He said they already closed down the store after they confirmed that the rodents seen in the viral video were real.

The video was re-uploaded on TikTok last Dec. 5 and has reached more than 4 million views.

According to the VIB, they provided food safety and sanitation advice to the store owner who is not a resident of the area.

They also closed the drainage of the store after a thorough clean-up while the contaminated meats were disposed of.

The VIB said those who consume contaminated meat may develop diseases such as leptospirosis and multiple organ failure.

Meanwhile, Santos reminded the other meat vendors in the city to be aware of the sanitation of their stores to protect the health of the consumers, especially this holiday season.

He said stainless pipes and screens were installed in the market stalls to prevent rodents from entering the market compound.

"Sa mga meat dealer po natin, siguraduhin naman po nilang malinis ang karneng binebenta nila at galing sa accredited na katayan (For meat dealers, make sure that the meat they are selling is clean and comes from an accredited slaughterhouse)," he said.

The VIB chief said that legitimate meat dealers should have permits from VIB or the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).

"Siguraduhin din po nila ang malinis na paghawak sa karne. Kung idedeliver naman po sa kanila yung karne, siguraduhin po nilang bantayan doon sa mga karne na ibebenta nila (They should make sure the meat is handled cleanly. If it came from a delivery, make sure they monitor the meat they will sell)," he also said.

"Pagkatapos niyo magtinda, maglinis na kayo, mag disinfect kayo. Huwag niyo pababayaang may matitirang karne (After selling, please clean up, disinfect. Don't leave any leftover meat in in your stalls)," he added.

Vendors who violate the Meat Inspection Code may face up to 12 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to P1 million, Santos said.