Swine fever hits another Leyte town

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — A ban on the entry of hogs and pork products is in effect in Kananga, Leyte until July 28 after the Department of Agriculture regional animal disease diagnostic laboratory confirmed the town’s first case of African swine fever (ASF).

In an executive order, Mayor Matt Torres said pigs within the 500-meter radius in Sitio Sagkahan in Barangay Poblacion, where the swine disease was first detected, would be culled.

Torres said hog raisers and sellers should comply with the ban.

The municipal agricultural office (MAO) urged affected hog raisers to register to avail themselves of financial assistance from the DA regional office.

MAO head Carlito Torreon said hog raisers could visit his office near the Poblacion barangay hall for details on the government’s response to prevent the spread of ASF.

Kananga is the 33rd area in Leyte hit by the swine disease.

Early this month, Tabango town reported an outbreak of ASF.

Five of the six provinces in Eastern Visayas – Leyte, Southern Leyte, Western Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar – were affected. Biliran remains ASF-free.

Sentinel pigs

Meanwhile, in Bulacan, sentinel pigs were deployed in several hog farms to detect the presence of ASF.

Voltaire Basinang, provincial veterinary office head, said the sentinel protocol involves the deployment of pigs in certain areas to determine if they will be infected.

Prior to the deployment of sentinel pigs, Basinang said environmental swabbing would be conducted to determine the presence of ASF in hog farms and surrounding areas.

Hog farms in San Jose del Monte City, Norzagaray, Angat, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Baliwag, Pandi, Guiguinto, Bocaue, Calumpit, Bustos and Pulilan are the target areas.

Commercial and backyard swine population in the province dropped to 100,00 from one million due to the swine disease. – Ramon Efren Lazaro