Piglet deaths in Iriga City due to gastroenteritis, not ASF — DA

LEGAZPI CITY — The sudden deaths of five piglets in Del Rosario village in Iriga City was not due to African swine fever (ASF), but to gastroenteritis, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Saturday evening.

The ASF remains contained in eight villages in Bombon and Calabanga towns, which are both about 50 kilometers away from Iriga City, the department said in their 7 p.m. press release.

Some 1,516 pigs have so far been culled in Bicol, affecting 291 farmers in the region.

While border controls continue to be set in place, more than 18 metric tons of meat and meat products have been seized and disposed of by the Bureau of Animal Industry’s and National Meat Inspection Services’ monitoring in the Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.