African swine fever hits 2 Bataan towns

BATAAN, Philippines – Hog raisers in two towns in this province were hit by African swine fever (ASF), local officials confirmed on Wednesday, January 15.

Dr Alberto Venturina, provincial veterinarian, said lab results showed that random blood samples from pigs in Dinalupihan and Hermosa tested positive for ASF. (FAST FACTS: What is African swine fever?)

The confirmatory tests were carried out following the death of some pigs in these areas.

Dinalupihan Mayor Gila Garcia and local agriculture officials met on Wednesday on preventive measures to stop the virus from spreading to other towns.

Garcia said that there were confirmed cases of ASF in 4 villages of Dinalupihan. The mayor said that she was coordinating with the proper authorities on how to control, maintain, contain, and manage the situation and appealed to the public for their cooperation. 

Fresh cases of ASF had also been reported in Tarlac and Pangasinan where local officials started culling pigs believed to be infected with ASF. 

Meanwhile, 21 pigs in Pangasinan were culled on Tuesday, January 14, to contain the spread of ASF in the town of Binmaley. According to Pangasinan provincial veterinarian Jovito Tabarejos, blood samples of these pigs tested positive for ASF.

He, said that the culled pigs were just under the one-kilometer radius of a piggery in Binmaley where 34 pigs died of ASF last week. 

The veterinarian said that they were observing the 320 other pigs in Barangay Linoc in Binmaley where the 21 pigs were culled. He said that if there were other new cases, the quarantine area would be expanded to include the whole barangay, and the culling of the 320 pigs. – Rappler.com