Several Eastern Visayas local gov’ts put border checks amid ASF cases in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY –– Several local government units in Eastern Visayas have put in place border controls amid the presence of the African swine fever (ASF) in Abuyog town, Leyte province.

The towns of La Paz and Javier, both in Leyte; and the cities of Ormoc in Leyte and Maasin in Southern Leyte have barred the entry of pigs and other pig products coming from areas with confirmed ASF cases.

The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas (DA-8) recently confirmed the presence of ASF in Abuyog town, Leyte last Jan. 15.

Francis Rosaroso, information officer of DA-8, said while they have yet to determine what caused the ASF in Abuyog, they were considering two possible reasons behind it.

“One could be due to boars service providers as most of the affected pigs were adult female swine and second, due to swill feeding or left-over food, which we discourage,” he said in a phone interview.

Rosaroso said at least 519 pigs have been culled and buried in 12-meter deep pits since Jan. 14.

The swine were from the villages of Bunga and Can-aporong, where the ASF cases were first detected; Canmarating, Tingle, San Isidro, Buenavista, Can-uguib, Loyonsawang, Santo Niño, and Victory, all located within the 500-meter radius, where the first ASF cases were detected in Abuyog.

Rosaroso, however, assured the public that pigs sourced outside Abuyog remained safe for human consumption.

Edited by LZB