The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) has reported additional cases of African swine fever (ASF) in Bais City, Negros Oriental, after 13 of 19 hogs tested positive for the virus.
Acting provincial veterinarian Vernon Lumbania told the Philippine News Agency Sept. 9 that the latest positive results were based on blood samples collected from pigs in several barangays, as of Sept. 7.
“With the latest reporting, nine barangays in Bais City now have ASF cases and are under surveillance and monitoring,” Lumbania said.
The affected barangays are Cambaguio, Rosario, Panam-angan, Cambilao, Basak, Cabanlutan, Tamogong, Calasgaan, and Manlipak.
Lumbania said 199 pigs have been culled in Bais City, including animals that were not infected but had been exposed to hogs that tested positive for ASF.
Aside from Bais City, four other areas in Negros Oriental remain classified as having active ASF cases. These are Valencia, Pamplona, Bayawan City, and Tanjay City.
The PVO will conduct repeat blood sampling in these areas to determine whether they can be declassified as ASF-affected, Lumbania said.
Meanwhile, the local government unit of Valencia has established checkpoints in two barangays to ensure that live hogs transported from the town to the slaughterhouse in Dumaguete City are virus-free.
The checkpoints are located in Barangays Puhagan and Malaunay, he said.
LGU personnel, together with a PVO staff member, will man the checkpoints and verify the clearance of hogs being transported from Valencia.
Lumbania said establishing such checkpoints is among the requirements for the Dumaguete City slaughterhouse to accept hogs from other areas, provided all other requirements are met.
The Department of Agriculture-Negros Island Region (DA-NIR), meanwhile, turned over ASF disinfectants and personal protective equipment (PPE) to members of the Negros Oriental Hog Raisers Association (NOHRA) at the Capitol in Dumaguete City Sept. 10.
The initiative aims to help mitigate the spread of ASF in Negros Oriental, provide support to hog raisers, and protect them and their livestock from further transmission of the disease, the Capitol said in a press release.
Present during the turnover were Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria, Board Member Woodrow Maquiling Sr., chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Agriculture; agricultural programs coordinating officer for Negros Oriental Bernard Limbagaz, and NOHRA members. ||
