Bacolod tagged as ASF red zone

After recording its first case of the African swine fever (ASF) virus on Friday, the provincial government of Negros Occidental has tagged Bacolod City as a red infected zone for ASF over the weekend.

On Friday, blood samples from the two pigs that died in a backyard piggery in Barangay Taculing tested positive for ASF.

This is the first case of ASF in the city and the province since the outbreak was first reported in the Visayas in 2019.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that the selling of pork and pork-based products will not be banned, especially those coming from private hog farms.

Lacson said what the provincial government can confirm is that “the recent cases of hog deaths are caused by hog cholera.”

The map classified neighboring Bago City, Murcia and Talisay City under the pink buffer zone; Pulupandan, Valladolid, La Carlota City, Salvador Benedicto, Silay City and EB Magalona under the yellow surveillance zone; and the rest of the province under the green ASF-free zone.

Hogs from the red zones can move to other red zones.

The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported that hog deaths from various diseases reached 6,379 in Negros Occidental as of Friday.

The deaths caused P75,503,775 in losses, the PVO reported.

The fatalities represent 5.88 percent of Negros Occidental’s 108,528 hog population.

The provincial government of Negros Occidental issued guidelines over the weekend that includes the banning of the entry of pigs and pork products from Bacolod City to local government units or the province. This is in compliance with the protocols implemented by the Department of AgricultureBureau of Animal Industry.

The protocols came after ASF cases were detected in two pigs in Barangay Taculing, Bacolod.

Lawyer Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, said the movement of live hogs, boar semen, raw meat, and locally processed meat, including lechon and chorizo, regardless of their source, from Bacolod to Negros Occidental towns and cities are now restricted.

“Exempted are hogs from commercial farms with Certificates of Free Status for ASF,” Diaz said.

“Also allowed are imported meat, but the meat vans carrying the supply must be accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service and must be registered with the Provincial Veterinary Office as a meat handler/trader,” he added.

Processed pork products made from imported meat from Bacolod to Negros Occidental are also allowed. But they must have a Certificate of Meat Inspection, Certificate of Product Registration, and License to Operate from the Food and Drug Administration. Meat handler’s must also have identification cards from the PVO.

The guidelines also mandate the disinfection of all incoming trucks, refrigerated container vans, and other vehicles from Bacolod City traveling to Negros Occidental towns and cities.

As of Sunday, no ASF cases had been detected in Negros Occidental outside of Bacolod City.