7 towns in Quezon log ASF cases

Pigs were locked in a cage in a slaughterhouse.

LUCENA CITY — At least seven towns of Quezon province’s 41 municipalities have recorded cases of African swine fever (ASF) in local hogs.

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) in a report on its Facebook page on Thursday, Aug. 15, classified the towns of San Andres, Macalelon, Lopez, Mauban, Candelaria, and Tiaong as “red/infected zone.”

“Reminder to everyone to maintain the implementation of biosecurity (measures) in your pig farms,” the OPV said.

READ: Batangas town under state of calamity due to ASF

In an online interview, Flomella Alilio-Caguicla, provincial veterinarian, explained that there were confirmed ASF cases in a locality under “red/infected zone.”

She said a team of veterinarians was validating the number of infected ASF cases and the mortalities among pigs in the seven towns.

The World Organization for Animal Health described ASF as “a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs” with no available vaccine, causing a 100-percent mortality rate.

Meat from infected pigs should not be consumed.

READ: DA: Stringent measures needed to plug African swine fever in La Union