By Uriel Quilinguing, Contributing Editor .
AGRICULTURE and veterinary officials confirmed yesterday the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) virus has already infected hundreds of backyard-raised pigs in two towns in western Misamis Oriental and two upland barangays in this city.
Last night, at least 850 culled hogs within the 500-meter radius from “ground zeroes” were set for deep burial in three sites.
Carlene Collado, executive director of Department of Agriculture in Region 10, said ASF viral DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was detected from hog serum specimens that were tested Monday at the DA 10’s regional animal disease diagnostic laboratory.
Parallel tests on the same serum samples done Tuesday at DA Region 12 laboratory in Gen. Santos City yielded confirmatory results, Collado said.
The specimens were taken from pigs in barangay Jampason, Initao and barangay Pahawan, Manticao, both in Misamis Oriental; and in barangays Mambuaya and San Simon, both in this city.
Dr. Benjamin Resma, provincial veterinarian of Misamis Oriental, said they have depopulated Initao with more than 300 pigs, all those found within the 500-meter radius from where the ground zero—the place where the index case was detected.
This, after 29 pigs had died due to ASF, affecting nine farmers in Jampason.
Resma said eight others hogs had succumbed to the viral disease, so far, in barangay Pahawan, Manticao town.
City veterinarian Lucien Acac said they have depopulated barangay Mambuaya with over 300 pigs and San Simon with about 250. All these were set to be stunned to death and buried last night.
Meanwhile, Leon Tan Jr., president of the Northern Mindanao Hog Raisers Inc. (Norminhog), said the buying public need not worry on pork supply because 80% of the region’s total production comes from Bukidnon.
Tan said that as long as Bukidnon is secured, through tight biosafety measures, and kept as a “green zone” then there is more than enough supply in public markets and supermarkets—all these source their pork supply from commercial swine raisers.
As of Oct. 1 last year, Northern Mindanao has an inventory of 1,049,098 heads of pigs.
Earlier, Collado who read his office’s official statement on their response to threats posed by ASF, said that all affected areas must be isolated, all infected animals must be eliminated, and affected farmers compensated.
He said the agriculture department is committed to pay the affected farmer P5,000 per culled hog and urged local governments to extend financial assistance as well.
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