ASF infiltrates Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY — No amount of quarantine measures prevented the entry of the dreaded African swine fever (ASF) here.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed that ASF caused the death of hogs in San Jose district.

DA regional director Angel Enriquez handed to Mayor Alfred Romualdez on Wednesday the confirmatory laboratory result of samples collected from Barangay 84.

The Regional ASF Task Force also met with the City Veterinary Office (CVO) for containment and elimination plans, including mandatory slaughter and proper disposal of all pigs within the 500-meter radius of the infected farm.

Tacloban was the 10th Leyte town with African swine fever cases after Pastrana, Abuyog, MacArthur, Javier, La Paz, Burauen, Dulag, Tanauan and Palo.

Enriquez also discussed with Romualdez the indemnification process and support for livestock raisers and farmers.

The DA said ASF infection here was an isolated case as the affected hogs were from a residential community and far from the piggeries supported by the city government.

Enriquez urged the city government to strengthen its border control, investigation and surveillance activities to protect ASF-free villages, or those tagged green zone areas.

Last week, the CVO confiscated 140 kilos of pork from Sta. Fe town, where there was no ASF case yet.

Tacloban was the 10th Leyte local government unit with ASF cases after Pastrana, Abuyog, MacArthur, Javier, La Paz, Burauen, Dulag, Tanauan and Palo.