Dr. Daniel Ventura, the ASF coordinator of DA 7, however, would not divulge to SunStar Cebu the locations of these local government units (LGUs) where ASF has been detected, so as not to hamper the implementation of the ongoing response protocol.
The agency is closely monitoring these LGUs, even as the ASF cases in these areas are not yet at the outbreak level.
“If further spread is confirmed within 15 days, then an outbreak is declared,” Ventura told SunStar Cebu Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
The agriculture official did not say how many pigs would have to be infected in an area to consider the occurrence an outbreak.
DA vs. Capitol
Also on Wednesday, Ventura said the DA 7 would stick to implementing the existing national policies in containing and eradicating the ASF detected in Carcar City last March 1.
In a text message to SunStar Cebu, Ventura said the national protocols were science-based and must be adhered to.
This was his statement following the contrasting orders issued by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, in responding to the ASF outbreak in Carcar City.
Last Monday, March 13, Garcia halted the culling of pigs within a 500-meter radius of the infected area, while, on Tuesday, she also stopped the random ASF testing of live hogs in the three affected barangays of the same city if the animals did not manifest ASF symptoms.
This came as Garcia questioned the ASF findings in the Carcar pigs after she said no mass deaths had occurred within days, which is what is to be expected when ASF hits an area.
Of the 300 pigs in the 500-meter radius of the infected areas, 141 had been put to death before the governor ordered the suspension of the cull Monday.
Contamination risk
In a report from the Philippines News Agency on Tuesday, March 14, Ventura said halting the culling of pigs, particularly those in close contact or that might have been exposed to those that tested positive for ASF, presents a high risk of contamination to other healthy swine.
He said the standard protocol was to kill and dispose of, accordingly, all live hogs within 500 meters from the infected areas.
This ensures that the virus will not spread to other pig hosts.
He added that if a pig has tested positive, then it must be killed and buried. But if the pig tested negative, then it can be slaughtered for food.
However, this must undergo risk analysis and the hog farms where the pigs came from must have a higher farm biosecurity level to be qualified.
“Time is of the essence in controlling the spread of the virus. Thus, a sound decision is warranted,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
Monitor farms
On Wednesday, Garcia said she will form a group that will strictly monitor backyard farms in accordance with the implementation of tougher biosecurity measures in the LGUs, including barangays and puroks.
The governor plans to give incentives to the barangays that can submit their daily monitoring report on backyard farming.
“I am going to formulate a team, but this will be down to barangay level and even purok so that any manifestation or any symptom that is manifested in a hog must be immediately reported. And we will have to conduct a massive information drive that when they see any pigs manifesting the symptoms, they must immediately isolate,” Garcia said.
Garcia said she needed the help of the barangay in re-examining and monitoring the pigs to ascertain what actually infected them—whether it was really ASF, or just the Classical swine fever (CSF), also known as hog cholera, since the symptoms of the two diseases are similar, although mortalities with CSF are less.
The common signs of swine affected with ASF are thinned body muscles, reduced food intake, cough, bloody diarrhea, emaciation, abnormal gait, lethargy, vomiting, abortion in sows, skin discoloration or high fever, according to DA Administrative Circular 2, series of 2022.
Despite the halt on pig culling in Carcar City, Garcia said the strict border controls will continue.
On March 6, Garcia had ordered the isolation of Carcar from the rest of the Province to prevent the spread of ASF. (TPT, KAL, CTL)