June 7, 2023
Nine ASF cases confirmed in Victorias City, northern Negros Occidental, Philippines
Victorias City in northern Negros Occidental province, the Philippines, reported nine cases of African swine fever (ASF) on June 6, including seven detected from pigs in the slaughterhouse of the Victorias Foods Corporation (VFC).
It is the second local government unit (LGU) in the province to have confirmed cases of the disease — based on reports from the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas (DA-6) Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) — after Pulupandan town which first recorded a case in end-May.
During a press conference, Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez announced the development with city veterinarian Dr. John Michael Cabuguason, who said they have monitored the ASF cases in two areas since last week.
The first incident was recorded in a backyard farm in Barangay 5, where two of the three submitted samples tested positive on June 5.
"All the animals died and were properly disposed of. Immediate culling with indemnification will be done within a 500-meter radius," Cabuguason said.
The second incident, as shown in the DA-6 RADDL result on June 6, included seven samples from the VFC abattoir that tested positive for ASF.
Cabuguason said these included pigs subjected to blood sampling before they were brought in for slaughter. He added that the hogs were part of the 15 sows that came from Hinigaran town in southern Negros on June 2.
"Immediate containment of infected pork products in the slaughterhouse of VFC was implemented. The carcasses and organs were condemned, the whole area was disinfected," the veterinarian said.
Benitez acknowledged the economic concern brought by the ASF threat to the city’s hog industry, which is entirely comprised of backyard hog raisers.
"We are going to explore options on how to minimise impact to livelihood," he said.
The mayor said 90% of the 1,584 hog population here has been insured with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
- PNA
