Pigs nowadays are like “terrorists.” They are closely monitored and banned from entering in the airports and seaports. They are immediately “deported” once they reach a certain destination without complete documentation. Like some people involved in the illegal drug trade, they are “arrested” and seized from hog-raisers and immediately “executed” without mercy and “due process.” Poor pigs, they are victims of “extra-judicial killings” and massacre.
Why is this happening? Because of the African Swine Fever (ASF) scare. Is the ASF issue being mishandled by government agencies concerned? Is the information about this high-risk disease on pigs not properly explained and disseminated? Are there inconsistencies in the government’s information drive? Or are some local officials just overacting on this matter? These are the nagging questions that need to be clarified.
Our Department of Agriculture (DA) officials confirmed sometime last week that the “dreaded ASF” has already reached the country, especially in Rizal and Bulacan provinces. The confirmation caused panic among local officials and those who are in the hog industry. Maybe, just to appease and neutralize the adverse effect, the same DA officials announced the following day that the disease was already contained.
When asked by reporters in what manner it was immediately contained, they could categorically explain. How was it immediately contained? The affected pigs were already killed and disposed? Or were they eliminated through medical intervention? Because of the pronouncement, some local officials also overreacted. They came up with a memorandum banning the entry of livestock, processed and frozen meat from Luzon and neighboring provinces in Central Visayas.
Over the weekend, several pigs from Negros Oriental that arrived in the Port of Tangil in Dumanjug were immediately “deported” by the ASF task force because the animals lacked “documentation.” Why did the task force do the drastic action when our DA 7 Regional Director Salvador Diputado keeps on saying that the region is still free from the virus? There is inconsistency in the pronouncements between the government agency concerned and the ASF task force.
Because there were pigs that mysteriously died in some barangays in Quezon City, City Mayor Joy Belmonte immediately ordered the confiscation and killing of all the pigs within a kilometer radius from the affected barangays. Why did the mayor order the “massacre”? Is she sure that the other pigs were affected with ASF? Pig owners were complaining because it affected their livelihood.
Question: Can we detect a pig affected with ASF through our naked eye? No? Suspected ASF can only be confirmed through laboratory diagnosis. So, all laboratory procedures must be exhausted first before an expert can confirm that ASF exists. What our local officials are doing, confiscating lives stocks from owners and denying entry of some pigs from other areas, are “inhuman” and confiscatory in nature.
Imagine a resident of Cebu who just attended a fiesta celebration in Bohol who carried a “bring house” of humba and paksiw lechon being confronted by a guard at the pier area. The guard confiscated the food, claiming it is prohibited to “import” pork from other areas because of ASF. Ang guard maoy mikaon sa humba og lechon. Pagkatoytoy!
Common questions on ASF. What are the symptoms and how long does the fever last? Acute forms of ASF characterized by high fever, depression, red skin, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, difficulty in breathing and loss of appetite. The death within 6-13 days up to 20 days and mortality rates may be as high as 100 percent. Can it be treated? There is no specific treatment for classical swine fever. The disease is usually fatal to pigs. Can humans get ASF? ASF is a viral disease affecting only pigs, not people. So, it is neither a public health threat nor a food safety concern. ASF cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs and pork products. So, let’s still eat humba and lechon.