ILOILO City – This southern city remains free from the African Swine Fever (ASF) despite a few reported hog deaths.
Dr. Suzette Leal, City Veterinarian IV, said they are still waiting for the Regional ASF Task Force to extract blood samples at Zone 1 in Barangay Tacas, Jaro district, where hog mortalities were first reported.
Leal clarified that no samples have been taken yet from the area.
Nevertheless, she emphasized that they are implementing strict containment in the area, where no live hogs or pork products are allowed to enter or exit the suspected infected area.
“We set up checkpoints para wala may makagwa kag makasulod nga mga baboy,” she said.
So far, based on their monitoring, no more deaths have been reported or pigs manifesting ASF symptoms.
According to Leal, the two sows and one male pig that were first reported to have died were already buried. Some of the piglets of one sow also died, supposedly from poor nutrition.
Meanwhile, as to the dead hogs placed in sacks and thrown at the Dungon Creek in Barangay Calubihan, Jaro, Leal said they also conducted an investigation over the weekend.
Calubihan punong barangay Rodney Guintibano reported that one of their residents informed them that his three pigs died and they already buried it.
Coincidentally, some residents saw a sack in the creek with dead hog inside. Guintibano then ordered to bury the pig.
The next day, however, the residents smelled a foul odor, and they discovered it came from another two sacks with alleged dead pigs.
“May kawayan nga natumba didto sa creek so nasab-it didto na mga basura after sang bagyo, amo to may nagsab-it nga mga sako. Indi naton mabal-an kon diin halin kay according kay Kap, sa didto nga area waay naman sang may gasagod,” said Leal.
On the other hand, Mayor Jerry Treñas appealed to the city’s residents to report to the City Veterinarian Office if their pigs are suffering from symptoms of ASF or have died.
“Gilayon nga ipahibalo sa City Veterinarian Office kon nagamasakit ang inyo mga baboy,” he said.
The city mayor emphasized that it is important that necessary interventions be taken immediately to avoid the possible spread of the virus./PN
