2 more towns in Eastern Visayas record African Swine Fever cases

TACLOBAN CITY –– Two more towns in Eastern Visayas have recorded cases of the African Swine Fever (ASF), according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the region.

In a statement, DA Regional Director Angel Enriquez asked the officials of La Paz and Javier towns to establish checkpoints and depopulate hogs and swine that are within the 500-meter radius.

“We would like to assure the public that the concerned local government units, together with the Regional ASF Task Force, will continue to institute proactive measures, such as strict enforcement of quarantine procedures, restriction of animal movement, disinfection, and clearing of affected areas,” Enriquez said.

He advised farmers to cooperate and observe strict quarantine measures, avoid swill feeding, and immediately report to the nearest local veterinary or agriculture office any unusual deaths of pigs.

In La Paz, ASF cases were noted in the barangays of Mag-aso and Luneta. In Javier, the cases were traced to the villages of Comatin, Caranhug, and Abuyogay.

The conduct of confirmatory tests among pigs outside the town of Abuyog, where ASF cases were first announced by the DA last Jan.15, is part of their office’s “proactive monitoring.”

An initial investigation by the Regional Disease Investigation and Surveillance Team showed that the ASF virus may have spread in local farms.

Enriquez said infected boars used for mating and hog traders who fed their stocks with contaminated food products may have transmitted the ASF.

Dr. Eunice Alcantara, Tacloban veterinarian, said that with ASF in Leyte, pork consumption in the city could be affected.

Alcantara said the bulk of the city’s pork came from Leyte towns, including Abuyog.

“There is a possibility that prices of pork will increase and we will experience low supply,” she said.

Several areas in Leyte, like the cities of Ormoc and Maasin, have sealed off their borders to prevent the entry of pigs and other pork-related products contaminated with ASF.

Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Marino Ongchuan has also issued an executive order last Monday preventing the entry of pigs coming from Leyte and parts of Luzon and Mindanao.

The order is effective until March 19.

LZB