Iloilo City imposes rules to control entry of possible sources of swine fever

FILE / official Facebook page of Mayor Jerry Treñas

ILOILO CITY—Mayor Jerry Treñas of this city has issued an executive order that banned the entry of live hogs, boar semen, pork, and all pork-related products from the neighboring town of Oton, Iloilo where a suspected African Swine Fever (ASF) case was recorded.

City Agriculturist Iñigo Garingalao on Monday, October 17, said they are setting up border checkpoints to be manned by the local police to inspect the delivery of pigs and pork products.

Those that deliver swine and pork products must present meat inspection certificates as well as additional certifications from the municipal or city veterinarian offices of the local governments where these hogs or products came from.

Gaingalao said that trucks will be sprayed with tire wash disinfectant, while personnel involved in the delivery may also be subjected to foot baths at the checkpoints.

These checkpoints are placed at thoroughfares in Mandurriao and Arevalo districts bordering Oton, including in Barangays Mohon, Calajunan, and Hibao-an Sur.

“If they are carrying [live hogs or pork], we will look at their certificate of inspection, and the drivers and riders may be placed in the foot bath. Not everyone passing by will be subjected to that, we will concentrate only on meat products,” Garingalao said.

He also planned to put up additional precautionary inspections in the Jaro and La Paz districts, which border the towns of Pavia and Leganes.

Suzette Leal of the City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) said they intensified surveillance for backyard hog raisers.

“Our [CVO] teams are going around to distribute disinfectants to clean their pens because we have to ensure our biosecurity against [ASF],” she said.

Leal also said that they are continuously coordinating with the Iloilo Provincial Veterinary Office on ASF developments in Oton.

She discouraged the practice of swill (damog) feeding to hogs and mentioned that the ASF virus will stay for 3 to 6 months in processed food such as chorizo and tocino, and about 15 weeks for chilled meat.

“We are asking our stakeholders, especially our grillers and butchers, that if the hogs look ill, please don’t sell them anymore. This is a small ask. We have to cooperate to stop the spread of African Swine Fever,” she said.

Ruby Firmeza, head of the city’s slaughterhouse, likewise assured that they will not accept pork meat from Oton and will only accept those with LGU-issued veterinary certifications.

The Iloilo provincial government last week announced a suspected ASF case in an unnamed barangay in Oton town, where out of eight pigs initially tested, five presented positive reactions while three tested negative from rapid tests conducted by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in the city.

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