• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Health (DOH) has reassured the public that African swine fever (ASF) does not pose a threat to human health, following the recent confirmation of hog deaths linked to the disease in parts of Negros Island.
Despite the outbreak, the DOH emphasized that ASF cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.
However, the agency advised consumers to purchase pork only from reliable meat vendors and ensure that pork is cooked thoroughly before consumption.
ASF is a severe and highly contagious viral disease that affects only domestic and wild pigs, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.
Infected hogs typically exhibit symptoms such as high fever, depression, loss of appetite, redness of the ears, abdomen, and legs, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can eventually lead to death.
As of June 30, the Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office recorded 2,130 hog deaths across 13 local government units as ASF continued to spread to Negros Oriental and the highly urbanized Bacolod City.
Provincial veterinarian Dr. Placeda Lemana clarified that the reported deaths account for only 0.65 percent of Negros Occidental’s total hog population of 329,531, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Meanwhile, Negros Oriental has intensified its containment efforts after confirming five ASF cases in the municipality of La Libertad.
Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria convened a task force meeting on July 1 with veterinarians, government agencies, law enforcement authorities, and representatives from the hog industry to strengthen the province’s response to the outbreak.
“We have handled ASF before – our protocols are ready, and we will do better this time to shield our province,” Sagarbarria said.
Initial investigations suggest that the virus may have been introduced through leftover food from fiestas in Negros Occidental that was brought into Negros Oriental and fed to pigs.
The governor urged backyard hog raisers to avoid feeding pigs with food scraps or swill and instead use only properly prepared commercial or safe feeds to help prevent further transmission of the disease. | GPB
