• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental has closed its border with Negros Oriental, following the detection of African Swine Fever in Dauin town, based on the Provincial Ordinance 2019-024, disclosed Provincial Veterinarian head Placeda Lemana yesterday.
Prior to the closure of provincial borders, Negros Oriental had banned the entry of hogs and pork related from Negros Occidental due to hog cholera, Lemana said.
As of May 19, swine mortalities in Negros Occidental has reached 4,308, PVO records showed.
Lemana, however, clarified not all hogs died of cholera, but also of pneumonia and heat stroke, among other diseases.
At the same time, the PVO head is not discounting the possibility that it may also be triggered by ASF, since symptoms are similar to hog cholera, which she added will be confirmed by the Agriculture Department’s Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic laboratory.
While blood samples taken from swine in highly urbanized Bacolod City, and San Enrique, Negros Occidental, yielded negative results for ASF, Lemana said they are sending more swine blood samples from other affected areas of the province.
She also expressed her dismay that some hog raisers did not properly dispose of their dead swine, throwing them into irrigation canals or rivers, which further spread the disease.
Of the dead hogs, San Enrique had the most number of fatalities at 1,800, followed by Bago City – 838, Valladolid – 456, Pulupandan – 315, La Carlota – 240, and Pontevedra – 230, which are all located in the 4th district of Negros Occidental.
Lemana disclosed that some affected local government units, especially in the 4th district of Negros Occidental, are planning to declare an outbreak of hog cholera for them to use their respective calamity funds to address the spread of swine diseases.
More random blood samples were also taken from swine in Bacolod City, as well as Valladolid, with results expected to be known this week.
Lemana also encouraged LGUs bordering Negros Oriental to beef up personnel manning quarantine checkpoints.
Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Police and Coast Guard have been tapped by the provincial government, to secure borders of Negros Occidental against the entry of swine and its products from ASF-affected areas.*
