• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental remains free of African swine fever (ASF) amid the resurgence of the viral disease in a town of Negros Oriental, Provincial Veterinarian Placeda Lemana declared on Friday, Aug. 30.
Negros Occidental is still banning the entry of hogs and pork-related products from Panay, Guimaras, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Luzon and Mindanao due to ASF threats.
Lemana said that only Escalante City is still categorized as red (infected) zone for ASF.
In the red zone, strict prohibitions are enforced against the movement of live pigs, pork and pork products (including fresh/frozen pork and uncooked processed pork products, with the exception of cooked and canned processed pork products), as well as swine genetic materials to prevent the spread of ASF.
All other areas in Negros Occidental have been downgraded from red to pink zone, Lemana said.
A pink zone designates areas where ASF has not been detected but are immediately adjacent to confirmed infected areas (red zone).
Lemana said that they are not taking chances especially now that Negros Occidental is on the third phase of recovery efforts in hog repopulation.
Last year, Negros Occidental logged almost 18,000 hog mortalities in about 20 local government units, mainly due to hog cholera and ASF.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) kicked off on Friday the controlled trial of a Vietnam-developed ASF live vaccine in Lobo, Batangas, a municipality with one of the highest cases of ASF.
Lemana said there is no advice yet from the DA if Negros Occidental will also avail of the vaccine. | GB
