DAVAO CITY - The Mati City Veterinary Services Office confirmed on Saturday, January 16, that the African swine fever (ASF) has killed around 132 hog livestock in this city.
ASF is a highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, which is responsible for serious economic and production losses.
City Veterinary Service Office head Marites Linsag-Erispe said that serum specimen samples taken from hog livestock from Barangays Don Salvador, Tagbinonga, and Buso were tested positive for ASF.
"These hogs have not been vaccinated. It is the mandatory for the government to kill those pigs who were infected of the ASF," Linsag-Erispe.
This stemmed after six hogs reportedly died in Don Salvador on December 10, the same day the City Veterinary Office held its orientation for livestock farmers on the Department of Agriculture's (DA) Administrative Order 22 series of 2020.
The Guidelines on the Swine Depopulation After African Swine Fever Confirmation states that veterinary quarantine movement protocol and reiteration of food safety measures during animal disease outbreaks/emergencies that a mandatory test and destruction shall be applied on all animals within the one-kilometer radius quarantine zone, where the ASF case has been reported.
Linsag-Erispe said that around 50 farmers from three barangays were affected due to the ASF, while there were 132 hogs which were culled and buried in the area.
She added that affected livestock farmers will receive cash assistance from the DA. Each farmer will get P5,000 per hog and P3,000 per piglet culled.
The Mati City Veterinary Service Office also urged all sellers of siomai, kikiam, longganisa, and other pork by-products to ensure that the origin of their meat and secure business permits from their local government.
For the backyard raisers and all other concerned, they were also advised to refrain from swill feeding, Linsag-Erispe said, adding that though the ASF will not affect to person's health, but the person could be a carrier of the ASF that will lead to their pigs' illness and death.
Linsag-Erispe also clarified that the meat sold in their market are safe following the health declaration from the city vet office.