• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The City Veterinary Office yesterday announced that it is still “safe to eat pork” in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, despite the detection of nine confirmed cases of African Swine Fever (ASF).
In a post on its Facebook page, the City Veterinarian Office stressed that “ASF is not harmful to human health,” adding that they are closely working with the local ASF Task Force to restore the green status of Victorias City, with regard to ASF.
Checkpoints have been established in key areas to ensure that ASF will not spread to other areas of Victorias City.
Seven of the nine ASF cases detected were from hogs at the slaughterhouse of the Victorias Foods Corporation (VFC), which came from Brgy. Anahaw, Hinigaran, as reported by the CVO and Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez.
So far, Pulupandan town has recorded one case of ASF, while two other cases were also reported in Bacolod City.
EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon yesterday issued an executive order creating the ASF local Task Force –Disposal and Decontamination team, to observe guidelines on the proper disposal of dead hogs and infected or contaminated pork in the town.
Checkpoints have been also established within its borders with the cities of Victorias and Silay, amid the spread of the ASF virus.
Bacolod City was placed under the “red zone” after the confirmation of two ASF cases in Brgys. Taculing and Tangub, according to zoning status report of the Bureau of Animal Industry.*
