Cebu province is now closely monitoring the disinfection of trucks delivering live hogs to other areas of the country as cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) reach neighboring provinces.

In order to closely monitor their regular disinfection, only trucks from Cebu will be allowed to make deliveries containing live hogs to other provinces.

Sugbo News, the official news site of the Capitol Public Information Office, reported that this was agreed upon in a meeting between Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu Provincial veterinarian Rose Vincoy, truckers, haulers, and hog producers in Cebu.

After each delivery, trucks will then have to undergo mandatory disinfection and acquire a disinfection clearance from the port of origin. They will also have to submit to 7 days of downtime for further disinfection in order to obtain clearance from the Capitol.

“Kay atong presumption ani ron, kana tanan nga naa sa gawas sa Isla sa Cebu, naa’y possible na fomites na magdala ug ASF nato. So, we are protecting the island,” Garcia said in the report.

(Our presumption now is that all [trucks] outside Cebu island possibly carry fomites that might bring ASF to us. So, we are protecting the island.)

ASF is a highly viral disease exclusive to pigs and wild boars, with up to 100% mortality rate within 2 to 10 days of infection. According to the World Organization for Animal Health, although the virus does not infect humans, it can cling to clothing and equipment and could be spread throughout the processing and production of pork and pork products. 

Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture confirmed cases of ASF in Eastern Visayas. 

Cebu, looking after its P11-B hog industry, has imposed an indefinite ban on live hogs, pork, and pork-related products from ASF-infected countries along with infected areas in the country like Luzon, Mindanao, and Eastern Visayas since 2019. 

The province is also now dependent on its millers for the production of hog feed. Raw ingredients that have to be imported for the production of feed, however, are made to undergo quarantine. – Rappler.com