Negros Oriental town moves to prevent African Swine Fever re-emergence

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DUMAGUETE CITY — Authorities are scrambling to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF) after the detection of new cases in Barangay West Balabag, Valencia town in Negros Oriental, officials said Thursday.

“The ASF cases in Valencia are a re-emergence as there was a previous outbreak last year in that town, but it was already contained through culling,” said Dr. Alfonso Tundag, quarantine officer of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in the province.

Tundag said authorities were still investigating the possible sources of the ASF resurgence in Valencia.

As of late Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture-Provincial Agriculture Technology Coordinating Office (DA-PATCO) reports showed that 160 heads were infected and scheduled for culling.

Alejandro Rafal, Jr., DA-PATCO head in the province, said that after a meeting last Monday with the local government unit (LGU), the depopulation of pigs in the barangay started.

Disinfection also commenced in farms and residences where deceased hogs were reported.

While waiting for the Valencia LGU to issue an executive order relative to the ASF outbreak, checkpoints have been established in strategic areas to prevent entry of live hogs from the affected barangay.

Rafal said the depopulation of hogs would include a 1,500-meter radius in the affected barangay.

Initial investigation revealed that ASF cases were already detected last month, but no one reported these to authorities.

Tundag said that they learned during the meeting with LGU officials that “some 50 pigs had died as early as the first week of July,” and their owners did not report the cases.

“They did not report the cases, perhaps out of fear that their live hogs will be culled as well,” the BAI official explained.

He asked the municipal agriculture officer of Valencia to conduct a backtracking of events surrounding the ASF resurgence to determine the source of the infection.

Meanwhile, Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, said the town police were setting up checkpoints to ensure that live hogs from Barangay West Balabag would not find their way to this capital city and nearby towns like Sibulan and Bacong. (PNA)