April 12, 2024

 

Philippines downgrades Iloilo province in ASF control

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in the Philippines has reclassified 10 towns in Iloilo province from the red to the pink zone category, signalling progress in the fight against African swine fever (ASF), Panay News reported.

 

The towns now placed under the pink zone designation include Banate, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Concepcion, Dingle, Mina, New Lucena, Oton, Santa Barbara, and San Miguel.

 

In red zones, stringent measures are enforced to prevent the movement of live swine, pork products, and swine genetic materials to contain the spread of ASF until officially lifted.

 

The pink zone acts as a buffer, surrounding areas adjacent to confirmed infected regions, aiming to contain ASF through enhanced biosecurity and surveillance.

 

Dr Darel Tabuada, head of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), attributed the successful downgrade to the absence of ASF cases in the past 40 days, implementation of ASF ordinances, and vigilant surveillance efforts.

 

Previously, 27 towns were designated as red zones, including those recently reclassified.

 

Efforts are ongoing to monitor remaining red zone areas with the aim of transitioning them to the pink zone.

 

This downgrade is essential for the implementation of the sentinel programme initiated by the Iloilo provincial government and the Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA).

 

Beneficiaries from the newly designated pink zone towns are set to participate in the provincial government's sentinel programme, pending validation of the beneficiary list, which will allocate funds for the purchase of sentinel swine.

 

The sentinel programme, set to begin in May 2024, involves monitoring the health of swine through blood sample testing over two months to detect ASF infection.

 

-      Panay News