• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Only 3.53 percent of the hog population in 14 local government units (LGUs) affected by African swine fever (ASF) and other diseases in Negros Occidental has been lost as of July 13.
“The situation remains under control,” Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, July 14.
Lacson reported that only 2,185 hogs had died out of a combined hog population of 61,854 in the affected LGUs.
He added that only nine LGUs have confirmed positive cases of ASF based on laboratory examinations conducted on hog samples on July 8.
Lacson attributed the limited spread of the disease to the immediate implementation of established provincial protocols, drawing from the local government’s experience in handling previous ASF outbreaks.
He said that whenever a hog dies, it is immediately buried and the area is disinfected to prevent contamination and further transmission of the disease.
The governor reminded hog raisers not to slaughter or sell pigs that have died, stressing the importance of adhering to biosecurity measures.
To further curb the spread of ASF, the provincial government has intensified border control operations in San Carlos City, Murcia, and other strategic entry points to prevent the disease from reaching unaffected areas.
“So far, although there are fatalities because of ASF, the number of deaths remains below five percent. We hope to keep it below that level,” Lacson said.
He added that the outbreak remains manageable as long as strict biosecurity protocols continue to be observed.
“It will be alarming if we put our guards down. The way we are reacting to it, it is still under control,” the governor said.
Lacson also clarified that not all hogs died of ASF, but also of other diseases. | GPB
