Cebu no longer free from swine fever
BACKYARD LIVELIHOOD | A backyard grower checks on her pigs at Barangay Valladolid in Carcar City on Wednesday, a day after Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia banned the transport of pigs from the locality following the detection of African swine fever there. (Photo by NESTLE SEMILLA / Inquirer Visayas)
CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — The popular roasted pig (lechon) and chicharon (fried pork rinds) from Carcar City are unavailable for now as Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Tuesday ordered the implementation of stricter border controls following the detection of the highly contagious African swine fever (ASF) in the southern city.
Garcia, at a press conference, also prohibited the transport of live hogs, pork, and lechon out of Carcar.
“For precautionary measures, we have immediately closed off the borders. I have prohibited the bringing out of live hogs and even pork (from Carcar),” she said.
Police and personnel from the provincial veterinarian were stationed in at least seven access roads to Carcar to check the transport of pigs and pork products.
Surveillance
“This is not an environment that we have total control of. But now that the challenge is here. It is how we shall answer that challenge, whether we will be able to contain it or will it spread to the other towns and cities of the province,” Garcia said.
Cebu has been ASF-free for the past three years until the detection of infected hogs in Carcar on March 1.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said 58 out of 149 blood samples tested positive for the animal disease on March 1.
The samples were collected in surveillance activities by the city veterinary office of Carcar and were submitted to the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Animal Disease Diagnosis Laboratory in Central Visayas for testing, the BAI said. These were subsequently sent to the BAI for confirmation following the initial results.
The BAI reassured the public it is closely working with the provincial government of Cebu and all concerned agencies “to immediately control and prevent further spread of ASF.”
“Movement control measures are being implemented and coordination with the local government units is ongoing,” it said.
The BAI is likewise in coordination with the concerned local officials and authorities to implement protocols as well as technical and logistical support for the immediate containment of the infected area. It is encouraging all swine raisers to report any unusual pig deaths and sickness to their respective agriculture or veterinary offices, intensify the biosecurity measures and stop the use of swill or food scrap in feeding their hogs.
The provincial government is checking on neighboring towns of Carcar for reports of infection in local hog farms.
Carcar Mayor Patrick Barcenas said 11 out of 15 barangays in his city were affected.
Garcia last year ordered a ban on the entry of pork products from Panay Island and Guimaras because of ASF.
Garcia on Tuesday expanded the pork ban to the entire Negros Island amid suspicions from the provincial veterinary office that infected hogs in Carcar might have come from Negros Oriental.
P11-B industry
She said pigs in infected areas needed to be culled to prevent the further spread of the virus.“We will fight as we have always fought all other challenges we have faced. I repeat, it is important that we are upfront about it. We don’t try to hide it. Because when we hide it, it just causes more rumors,” Garcia said.
Cebu province is one of the biggest pork producers in the country with a pork industry valued at P11 billion.
ASF is a severe and highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs. While it is not a risk to human health, ASF has the capacity to destroy livestock production and lead to economic losses.
Sick animals experience fever, loss of appetite, lack of energy, and internal bleeding.
Based on data from the BAI, ASF has been detected in seven regions, 12 provinces, 42 towns, and 75 barangays as of Feb. 2.
