City provides free vaccination for hogs

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Veterinary Office will provide free vaccination for hogs raised in backyard piggeries as part of their intervention program to prevent the classical swine fever or hog cholera.

The vaccination will be provided in barangays with the most number of backyard piggeries such as Barangays Lusaran, Taptap, Binaliw, Agsungot, Cambinocot and Mabini starting tomorrow up to July 23.

Hog cholera is a highly contagious disease of pigs. Once a pig is infected, it can no longer be cured. A pig can be infected through direct contact between animals and indirect contact through implements and insufficiently cooked waste food.

“That’s why we need to prevent it. Dili ta angay mahadlok na matakdan ta, pero ang effect ani sa farmers and sa ato is economical,” said Dr. Alice Utlang, head of the Cebu City’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries.

The disease also quickly spreads to other pigs with high mortality.

Symptoms include huddling of pigs, chilling, vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, high fever, malformation, lost appetite and the most visible of all, the discoloration of the skin.

Utlang said that the most effective way to prevent hogs from acquiring the virus is through vaccination. But she said it is also the most neglected method by most of the farmers.

“Kay kasagaran lagi sa raisers are backyard farmers, so usahay, makalimtan or dili na lang mupalit. Magpa-vaccine lang kung naa’y libre,” Utlang said.

About 75 percent of the country’s hog supplies are produced by the backyard farmers which composes 70 percent of the country’s hog raisers. There are backyard farmers who vaccinate their hogs but efforts turn into failure most of the time due to poor handling.

Utlang said that vaccines are available in vials that are good for 10 doses. She said there are directions for the use of the vaccines, which most of the farmers are not aware of. Because of this, part of their campaign is educating backyard farmers on effective piggery management.

Vaccination for the prevention of hog cholera is important this season, when sudden changes in weather patterns are experienced. It is during these times that hogs are more vulnerable to the disease.

Utlang, however, clarified that there has never been an outbreak of hog cholera in Cebu City.

The Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company (UNAHCO) will be donating 100 vials equivalent to 1,000 doses of vaccines to the DVMF as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.   (FREEMAN NEWS)