Negros alerted on possible return of ASF as outbreak reported in Batangas

The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) called on local hog raisers in Negros Occidental to be vigilant against the possible return of African Swine Fever (ASF), citing the onset of the rainy season that brings rain and flooding.

Dr. Placida Lemana said the flooding caused the rise of ASF especially those who are already in the senteniling and restocking phase.

“Flooding brings infection especially in areas which are yet declared as cleared,” Lemana said, adding that hog raisers “should be vigilant not to allow floods to reach their pig pens.”

The warning of the PVO comes after the rise of ASF cases in Luzon after it was hit by widespread flooding caused by super typhoon Carina enhanced by the southwest monsoon.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) early this year showed that ASF and hog cholera caused the decline of hog production by 4.79 percent.

Hog industry losses due to swine diseases in the province reached P199.5 million last year.

The hog industry in the province has already started the sentineling phase, Lemana said.

Data also showed that swine diseases have affected 3,536 hog raisers in 153 barangays in 20 towns and cities in the province as of May 31 this year.

Lemana said only Hinigaran, Victorias City and Pulupandan are the localities that are already declared “pink”.

She said that the PVO is still waiting for the declaration of Kabankalan City and San Carlos City as well as La Castellana as pink zones.

“We are still guarding our ports against the entry of hogs and hog products from ASF infected areas. The provincial ordinance banning them from entry to Negros Occidental has not yet been lifted,” Lemana added. (EYA)

IN BATANGAS

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is preparing to conduct an emergency procurement of African swine fever (ASF) vaccines amid the outbreak in Batangas.

The Batangas Provincial Veterinary Office reported ASF cases in Lobo, Lian, Rosario, Calatagan, and Lipa City.

“The local government units may need to declare a state of emergency in these Batangas municipalities to enable the DA to respond swiftly to the situation and release funds for the urgent purchase of vaccines,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

The emergency procurement may shorten the timeline by two weeks, with at least 10,000 doses eyed, according to the DA.

Laurel also assured coordination with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to implement more stringent biosecurity measures, particularly in establishing checkpoints in the province, to prevent the further spread of the virus.

The DA will also provide “industrial lime” to affected hog raisers to treat areas with buried swine, he added.

Earlier, the department noted that the rainy season has contributed to the resurgence of ASF cases in the province, alongside the movement of travelers.

As of July 26, the Bureau of Animal Industry reported 150 barangays in 45 towns nationwide under red zones or those with active ASF cases.

These include the 10 affected barangays in Lobo, two in Lian, and one in Lipa City in Batangas.

A total of 476 cities and municipalities in the country have been upgraded to pink zones or buffer areas adjacent to infected zones.

The DA plans to launch the government- controlled vaccinations in red and pink zones using Vietnam’s AVAC live vaccines in the third quarter of the year.

It has allocated PHP350 million to procure 600,000 doses of ASF vaccines.* (Stephanie Sevillano, PNA)