Eastern Samar under state of calamity due to ASF

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Eastern Samar was placed under a state of calamity on Monday after African swine fever (ASF) spread in the province.

Provincial administrator Nelson Cortez said 430 pigs have been culled in Barangays 14,15 and Hapitan in Dolores town, where ASF cases were reported.

Cortez said hogs in Oras and Can-Avid, where several backyard-raised hogs have died, are being monitored.

“We have to immediately act on this... Border control all over the province should be implemented,” he said.

Oras Mayor Vivian Alvarez requested the veterinary office to inspect hogs in Barangay Balocawe for suspected infection.

Provincial veterinary officer Norma Ylanan said hogs suspected to be infected with ASF in Barangay Sulangan in Guian tested negative for the swine disease.

ASF has affected 16 towns and a city in Leyte. Around 16,000 pigs have been culled.

Twenty-one areas in Eastern Visayas have recorded ASF cases.

Calbayog and Catbalogan in Samar were the latest to be hit by the swine disease.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) remains hopeful on the development of a vaccine against ASF, saying initial trials yielded positive results.

DA national livestock program director Ruth Miclat-Sonaco said vaccine trials are ongoing in 10 commercial farms in the country.

”We hope this response on tested animals will continue... so by next year we will have a vaccine that can be used on our hogs,” she said.

The Bureau of Animal Industry had earlier said it is collaborating with an unidentified US vaccine company and global animal healthcare company Zoetis for the vaccine trials. – Catherine Talavera