LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- In a bid to prevent spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), 227 pigs in Benguet underwent depopulation.
Blood samples of pigs from two areas in the province submitted to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Reference Laboratory, Bureau of Animal Industry were found positive for ASF last week.
Provincial Veterinarian Miriam Tiongan said a total of 192 pigs in Beckel, La Trinidad and 35 pigs in Camp 1, Tuba were killed before they were buried in the different areas in the province.
The move, she added, seeks to protect the livelihood of other swine growers and prevent further spread of the disease.
Tiongan also lauded a hog raiser in Camp 6, Tuba who decided to cull his pigs to prevent further spread of the disease while at least 31 hog raisers are affected in La Trinidad from ground zero to one kilometer radius.
To manage and control ASF from spreading, a 1-7-10 protocol was implemented.
Under the 1–7–10 protocol, pigs affected by ASF within one kilometer radius have to be culled, while those within seven kilometer will be under surveillance and must undergo laboratory exam, and for 10 km radius, all hog raisers need to report pigs who are ill.
After the pigs were culled, the area must undergo disinfection for 30 days followed by a 90-day rest and the sentinel period where 10 percent of the total population of pigs culled will undergo trial period for one and a half month.
Following a confirmed case of ASF in Benguet, the province was placed on temporary lockdown after an executive order was issued by Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas.
A temporary lockdown was also implemented for all sitios in Barangay Beckel in La Trinidad following an executive order by Mayor Romeo Salda.
Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) Colonel Elmer Ragay meanwhile said since 2019, Benguet PPO are conducting checkpoints and intercepted delivery of live pigs without the necessary documents. Ragay said the police also need the aid of the stakeholders to monitor the entry of live pigs and other pork products in the province.
“More personnel are needed in Tuba since last year including vehicles. They are manning Kennonroad and Marcos Highway. When the demand for resources would increase because of the work, I would be making re - alignment to augment forces,” he added.
Tuba Municipal Police Major Dominador Bautista De Guzman Jr. said on Monday since the lockdown, all entrance and exit of Tuba are manned by police together with the personnel from provincial veterinary conducting quarantine checkpoints.
“Tinitignan natin iyong mga trucks, container vans kung may karga itong karne ng mga baboy at hindi natin pwedeng papapasukin, papapuntahin sa Tuba,” Der Guzman added.
On Monday afternoon, some 20 kilograms of hot meat were confiscated by the National Meat Inspection Services while conducting monitoring along Longlong in La Trinidad.
The hotmeat were turned over to police and was later buried.
The ASF is a double-stranded DNA virus in the Asfarviridae family, it is the causative agent of the swine fever. ASF clinical symptoms include hemorrhage in the skin, lack of appetite and weakness. (With a report from Jean Nicole Cortes)