The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) confirmed new cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in three towns in Occidental Mindoro province yesterday.
DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa said the local government units were to conduct thorough surveillance, immediately depopulate infected hogs, and implement preventive culling around affected areas.
BAI also detected the recurrence of a positive case in Naujan on Monday, keeping Oriental Mindoro town under tight monitoring and the movement of hogs within town limits.
On January 12, BAI confirmed the ASF cases in Occidental Mindoro, a few days after a couple of barangays in Sta. Cruz and San Jose reported an unusual number of pig deaths.
De Mesa said blood samples were sent earlier this month to BAI, as confirmed seven ASF cases in San Jose, five in Santa Cruz, and two cases in the municipality of Rizal as of January 17. ASF cases on the island were first detected in Oriental Mindoro late last year.
Pig production in Oriental Mindoro towns of Naujan and Calapan were strictly monitored due to previous ASF cases while the town of Baco is being monitored for the virus.
Under DA regulations, a town is placed under red zone even if only one barangay tests positive, restricting hog movement within the area.
Tighter mobility restrictions are imposed if two or more barangays tests were positive for the virus.
The DA is now awaiting requests from LGUs to activate additional surveillance groups and from affected farmers for the indemnification of slaughtered hogs.
The DA pays P5,000 for each slaughtered swine due to AFS, with limit at 20 heads of pigs.
Mindoro province supplies hogs to Metro Manila and to parts of Region VI.
