ILOILO CITY – The island-province of Guimaras has recorded its first African Swine Fever case.
Department of Agriculture (DA)-6 Director Jose Albert Barrogo said the province’s first case was found in Buenavista town.
Specimens from a hog farm in Barangay Sawang underwent testing at the DA-6 Regional Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory and the results turned out positive on Friday, Dec. 16.
The DA-6 immediately called for a coordination meeting with the Guimaras provincial government under Gov. JC Rahman Nava to discuss possible interventions.
The Guimaras Provincial Agriculture Office and the Guimaras Provincial Veterinary Office are working with their counterparts in the local government units (LGUs) of the towns of Buenavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag.
"We commend the Province of Guimaras for their vigilance and the immediate issuance of an executive order mandating the temporary ban on the entry and exit of swine, pork, pork products, and pork by-products to and from Buenavista," Barrogo said.
Guimaras is the second province in Western Visayas region with ASF cases. The first was Iloilo where eight towns have ASF cases. The regional capital, Iloilo City, also has ASF cases.