June 22, 2009

As the scare over AH1N1 flu sweeps across Central Luzon following confirmed cases in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has spread to 15 towns in Pampanga and five others in Bulacan.

 

Reports said that PRRS has already killed 760 pigs in Pampanga alone.

 

According to a report by Augusto Baluyut, Pampanga provincial veterinarian, said only the towns of Floridablanca, Mabalacat, Magalang, Macabebe, and Masantol, out of the province's 21 towns, have been spared from the swine ailment.

 

Bulacan provincial veterinarian Ma. Gloria Carillo said PRRS has reached the towns of Calumpit, Guiguinto, Baliwag, Pulilan, and Plaridel.

 

There were also reports of hog cholera and other common ailments affecting pigs in these areas.

 

Both Baluyut and Carillo said their reports covered mostly backyard hog raisers, as no data were immediately available from commercial hog raisers.

 

However, they said commercial hog raisers were unlikely to be seriously affected by PRRS as most of them have enough resources to vaccinate their animals.

 

The Department of Agriculture in Central Luzon chief veterinarian Romeo Manalili said swine raisers are awaiting more vaccines from the Bureau of Animal Industry to contain the spread of PRRS.

 

Baluyut said the disease seemed to have originated from Pangasinan and reached Bulacan through its boundary with Pampanga in the Candaba area.