File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer
CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines —The city government here has limited the movement of live hogs and pork meat in at least nine villages where cases of African swine fever (ASF) were detected.
City veterinarian Dr. Jessica Maribojoc said the spread of the disease had been controlled in five of these villages but declined to identify the affected areas to ensure hog raisers would not fall victim to suppliers who buy pigs in contaminated areas at very low prices.
Animal delivery vehicles in the city were also required to secure a barangay livestock certification before they could move out pigs from the affected villages and to obtain a “green slip” from the city agriculture office confirming that the animals had tested negative for ASF based on antigen and laboratory tests conducted by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas.