TACLOBAN CITY-A village in Padre Burgos town, Southern Leyte was hit by African Fever Swine (ASF) which resulted depopulation of 200 pigs.
However, due to timely intervention by the local government unit, the ASF cases that affected Barangay Tangkaan is now under control, says its agriculture officer Cesar Tinambacan.
According to Tinambacan, the first cases of ASF in the village, which is about 2.5 kms away from the town proper, were noticed during the last week of June.
“The spread was so fast that about 200 pigs were affected by the ASF as of this week. But it is now under control as we were able to stop its spread (to other villages),” he said in a phone interview.
All ASF-affected pigs were buried to ensure it would not affect other healthy pigs in the village, Tinambacan said.
The occurrence of the ASF in Tangkaan could be due to pigs brought from Mindanao where there are ASF cases, he disclosed.
It was learned from Tinambacan that about 50 hog raisers in Tangkaan were affected by the ASF.
This is not the first time that Padre Burgos reported of ASF cases.
Last year, about 20 pigs from Brgy. Santo Rosario were also affected by ASF.
Based on the records of the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Eastern Visayas had 13,366 ASF cases since 2021, the year said disease was first noticed in Abuyog town in Leyte.
The department is calling the hog raisers to immediately coordinate with their respective local government units if they see signs or suspect that their pigs of a possible ASF.
Among the measures recommended by the DA include avoid swill feeding; observe sanitation in the surrounding; and have their hogs regularly checked by an expert, among others.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
