The town of Oton in Iloilo province has been classified as a red (infected) zone due to the presence of the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF).
Under Executive Order (EO) 460 issued by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., the zoning status of Oton is effective from October 17 to 27 “and will be extended if necessary.”
The province’s first case of ASF, a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, was detected in Oton.
Defensor noted that a blood sample from a hog farm in Barangay Bita Norte tested positive for the ASF virus. The confirmatory test was conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)-Animal Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory in Manila.
The governor’s EO imposes quarantine procedures and disease prevention and control measures against ASF.
“All live pigs, pork, pork products (fresh/frozen pork products and uncooked processed pork products, except cooked and canned processed pork products), and swine genetic materials from Oton town shall not be moved out to other local government units (LGUs),” the EO stated.
“Intensified monitoring and surveillance as well as test and destroy operation with the help of Department of Agricuture – BAI, the LGUs, and Philippine National Police shall also be conducted in other parts of the province,” it further stated.
Defensor clarified that only hogs that will be tested positive for ASF within the red zone area will be depopulated.
He added that hogs can still be moved out within Oton except from areas covered within one kilometer radius from the infected farm.
As of Oct. 15, a total of 374 hog heads were depopulated, majority or 305 of which came from the infected farm and 69 from backyard farms within the 0.5-kilometer radius from the infected farm.IMT
