ILOILO – The provincial government has banned the entry of livestock transport carriers “without disinfection certificate” from Luzon and Mindanao that are currently suffering from the African swine fever (ASF).
The ban took effect on Jan. 22. Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued Executive Order No. 22, Series of 2021 for this.
ASF is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease that spreads rapidly in pigs.
Since there is no known vaccine against it yet – sick pigs die in two to 10 days – ASF is destructive to the swine industry. Local hog raisers are fearful.
Defensor was alarmed by the recent detection of ASF in two barangays in the municipality of Abuyong, Leyte in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).
The continued spread of ASF cases in Luzon and Mindanao resulted to shortage in the supply of pork, causing traders to source live pigs from Panay Island and other ASF-free areas, necessitating the use of livestock transport carriers.
According to Defensor, livestock transport carriers and hog vans from Luzon, Mindanao were “potential agents of transmission of the disease through feces, urine and fomites.”
ASF is not considered a human health threat. However, humans can become carriers of the virus once tainted pork is ingested or if people get close to the infected meat, according to the National Meat Inspection Service.
The virus can also survive even if the meat has been processed or canned, it added.
The ban on livestock transport carriers will be lifted only when the country has been declared ASF-free already, said Defensor./PN
