Lamitan conducts hog depopulation

LAMITAN CITY, Basilan, Philippines — The city and provincial governments of Lamitan and Basilan conducted a hog depopulation activity yesterday to stop an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).

The decision to cull the hogs came after the Provincial Veterinary Office confirmed on Monday that blood samples taken from sick pigs in Barangay Calugusan tested positive for ASF.

Wearing hazmat suits, personnel of the Lamitan and Basilan veterinary offices as well as the city agriculture office went to Barangay Calugusan, where ASF cases have been detected.

The City Veterinary Office requested not to discuss or show the manner of the depopulation, although it gave assurance that the carcasses would be disposed of properly to prevent contamination.

“The depopulation is part of the intensified measures to combat ASF,” Mayor Roderick Furigay said.

The operation aims to prevent the disease from spreading to neighboring barangays following the continued increase in hog fatalities in the affected village.

According to the City Veterinary Office, 113 hog raisers have been affected by the outbreak, with 284 pigs lost to ASF.

The city government vowed to continue to implement strict disease control measures including surveillance, movement restrictions and enhanced biosecurity protocols.

Hog raisers have been urged to immediately report any unusual illness or death of their pigs, so that the problem can be addressed immediately.