ILOILO – The provincial government is scrambling to protect the municipality of San Joaquin following the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF) infections in its neighboring town Hamtic in Antique province.
San Joaquin is the only “green zone” town left in the province, according to Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) head Dr. DarelTabuada.
Green (free) zones are areas where ASF is not detected and are considered of low risk following the risk criteria under the ASF color-coding scheme of the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order 02-2020.
Tabuada said San Joaquin’s green zone status should be protected because it has the biggest contribution to the revival of the province’s swine inventory.
Other local government units (LGUs), Tabuada said, were ASF-infected while others recorded a drop in swine inventory.
The PVO aims to further strengthen existing biosecurity measures and border control in barangays at the boundary of San Joaquin and Hamtic.
“We have to protect the San Joaquin kay sila nalang ang aton green zone sa province. So, we discuss nga ang aton monitoring is on the barangay level na nga dapat istrikto nga i-monitor ang movement sang swine from Hamtic going to San Joaquin,” Tabuada said in an interview with Panay News yesterday.
Today, the PVO head will meet with hog raisers, livestock technicians, and the San Joaquin Municipal Agriculture Office (MA) to discuss biosecurity measures and border control at the barangay level, particularly in the boundary barangays of San Joaquin and Hamtic.
The PVO will also provide disinfectants to the municipal government to be distributed to hog raisers.
Latest data from the PVO showed there has been growth in the inventory of swine in San Joaquin. From 3,696 in September 2022, it grew to 5,339 heads, or a 44 percent increase, as of May this year.
Aside from San Joaquin, other ASF-free LGUs and their respective colored zone status are the following:
* 1st District – Guimbal and Tubungan (yellow zones), Igbaras and Miag-ao (yellow green zones), and Tigbauan (pink zone);
* 2nd District – Leonand Pavia(pink zones);
* 3rd District – Bingawan (yellow green zone), Cabatuan (pink zone) and Calinog (pink zone);
* 4th District – Anilao (pink zone) and Passi City (yellow zone); and
* 5th District – Lemery, San Rafael and Sara (pink zones).
Areas under pink (buffer) zone include municipalities or cities where ASF is not detected but demarcated immediately around the red zone when an area has been confirmed as an infected zone.
The pink (buffer) zone is aimed at preventing and managing spillover of cases from the red (infected) zone through risk mitigation measures such as biosecurity and surveillance.
On the other hand, for purposes of protecting and maintaining the ASF-free areas, the other free zones are defined according to risk:
* Yellow (surveillance) zone – includes municipalities or cities where ASF is not detected and adjacent with the pink (buffer) zone. These areas are considered to be high risk areas, following the risk criteria; and
* Yellow green (protected) zone – includes municipalities or cities where ASF is not detected and are considered to be moderate risk areas following the risk criteria.
The red (infected) zone, meanwhile, includes municipalities or cities with confirmed outbreaks of confirmed ASF cases.
The 27red zones were Oton, San Miguel, Alimodian, Santa Barbara, Leganes, New Lucena, Mina, Janiuay, Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo, Pototan, Dingle, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Maasin, Badiangan, Dueñas, San Enrique, Zarraga, Lambunao, and Carles.
The town of Carles – the farthest in the province’s northern portion – was the latest to record ASF cases.
ASF-positive blood samples were collected by the MAO from two barangays – Cabilao Grande and Abong – and tested by the Department of Agriculture Region 6 – Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
“Last week sila nag-positive. So, as of now, 27 municipalities [in Iloilo] naang affected sang ASF,” said Tabuada.
The remaining five heads of swine within the farms’ premises were immediately depopulated by MAO personnel.
Biosecurity measures were also heightened, including the installation of screen or fence in the pigpens so other animals could enter, one entrance and one exit flow with foot baths, regular disinfection, changing clothes and slippers when going in and out of the cage, and securing the cage after giving food, among others.
Tabuada said prior to the results, there had been reports of suspected deaths of ASF in Carles, but raisers only recently requested confirmatory tests./PN
