Bacolod logs first ASF cases

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Negros Occidental is no longer free from African swine fever (ASF) after the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas confirmed that this city logged its first cases on Friday.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said two ASF cases were detected in Barangay Taculing.

He said the infected hogs came from neighboring Bago City, where swine deaths due to cholera have been reported.

Benitez met with Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Friday and discussed measures to prevent the spread of ASF and other swine diseases.

“The samples were sent to Manila for RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) testing, but they say this convective PCR is 99 percent accurate,” Benitez said.

He ordered the culling of pigs within the 500-meter radius of the affected areas.

The city government’s ASF task force quick response team was activated to implement border control to prevent and contain the spread of the swine disease.

As of last week, 18 provinces, including Negros Occidental, have no ASF cases. 

The Department of Agriculture classifies these areas as green zones.

Aklan and Negros Oriental were added to the list of ASF-affected provinces after cases were detected in April and this month, respectively.

Meanwhile, Lacson said hog cholera cases in Negros Occidental are “threatening” the swine industry in the province.

Lacson said 5.8 percent of the total hog population in the province were infected.

Hog deaths due to cholera rose to 6,379 as of Friday, with damage estimated at P75.5 million.

Up to 1,220 hog raisers in 110 barangays in 14 areas were affected.