CEBU CITY -- African Swine Fever (ASF) does not pose a threat to human health, the Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) said. The DOH-7 issued the health advisory after the Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office confirmed the presence of ASF in the samples taken from slaughtered hogs in Carcar City, south Cebu. The DOH-7 said that per the World Health Organization, ASF is a severe and highly contagious viral disease among domestic and wild pigs only. “ASF is commonly introduced into a herd after feeding contaminated pork products. The virus then spreads between pigs by direct contact with an infected pig or ingestion of contaminated materials such as food waste, feed or garbage,” the health agency said. The DOH-7 said the spread of ASF can be prevented by observing strict sanitation practices. Hand washing when coming from a market, cleaning of shoes or tires of vehicles used in the pig farm are among the biosecurity measures that can be done to prevent the disease from spreading. “Consumption of pork and processed meat remains to be safe as long as these are brought from reliable outlets and are cooked properly before eating,” the DOH-7 explained. The DOH-7 assured that it will work closely with the provincial government of Cebu in the campaign against ASF. The Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative (CeViPPCo) has also assured the public that consuming pork remains safe despite the confirmation of ASF cases in Carcar. “We would like to inform the consuming public that this disease does not affect humans as it is not zoonotic so it is safe to eat local pork,” said CeViPPCo, which is headed by its president Jonathan Young and its chairman Rolando Tambago. Tambago is also the president of Virginia Farms which owns Pork Shop, the leading pork outlet in Cebu and other parts in the Visayas.