ILOILO – Three more towns in this province detected African Swine Fever (ASF) infections. This resulted in the culling of 52 swine heads.
The towns were Estancia, Concepcion and Pototan.
Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) head, Dr. Darel Tabuada, said two samples collected by the Estancia Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) from Barangay Santa Ana tested positive for the hog disease.
Meanwhile, one sample from Barangay Tamis-ac, Concepcion tested positive for ASF. The swine from which the sample was taken was killed.
In Pototan, one sample from Barangay Iwa-Ilaya also came down with the hog disease; 49 swine heads were culled.
Currently, a total of 21 towns in Iloilo have ASF cases. Of these, 15 towns are classified as red zones: Oton, San Miguel, Alimodian, Leganes, Santa Barbara, New Lucena, Mina, Barotac Nuevo, Dumangas, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Janiuay, San Dionisio, Batad, and Dingle.
The six towns categorized as pink zones are Dueñas, Concepcion, Pototan, Badiangan, Zarraga, and Estancia.
Under the red zone, “the movement of live pigs, pork, pork products (fresh/frozen pork products and uncooked processed pork products, except cooked and canned processed pork products), and swine genetic materials in and out of the said municipality shall be prohibited.”
Tabuada reminds the public anew that those in red zones should strictly implement the following measures to contain the spread of ASF:
* Intensified monitoring, surveillance, investigation, and test and destroy operations within the municipality by the local ASF taskforces (LATFs).
* Movement of live pigs, pork, pork products (fresh/frozen pork products and uncooked processed pork products, except cooked and canned processed pork products), and swine genetic materials from the quarantine area (QA) – area up to one kilometer from the infected area (IP), to outside quarantine area (OQA) – area outside the one kilometer radius from the IP, up to the administrative boundary of the city/municipality classified as red (infected) zone, shall be prohibited.
* Public/delivery transport shall not carry/deliver live pigs, pork, pork products (fresh/frozen pork products and uncooked processed pork products, except cooked and canned processed pork products), and swine genetic materials.
* Concerned LATFs shall conduct monitoring of transport terminals for enforcement of this provision./PN
