DA shutting borders of CamSur town to pig, pork transport after ASF cases confirmed

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday (Feb. 25) ordered a lockdown on the transport of pigs, pork and pork products to and from a town in Camarines Sur where cases of African swine fever had been confirmed.

Emily Bordado, DA spokesperson, said veterinarians were sent to the town of Magarao to cull close to 100 backyard pigs being raised by farmers in the villages of Sta. Lucia, Sto. Tomas, San Miguel, San Pantaleon and Sta. Rosa.

Tests made on meat samples from the town tested positive for ASF.

In a phone interview, Bordado said technicians from the DA’s Regional Quick Response Team for Animal Disease and Emergencies would tag one of the villages in Magarao as ground zero to serve as point of reference in measuring radius of infection and putting in place quarantine, surveillance and other measures to prevent the spread of ASF.