TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The provincial government ordered the total ban in the entry into the province of meat products from nearby Isabela because of earlier reported cases of the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) in some parts of that province.
Gov. James Edduba said that among the activities that are temporarily totally banned include transport and buying of live hogs, pork and pork-based products to ensure that the local pork industry will not be affected by the AFS that could result to the depopulation of hogs once the virus is detected in any part of the province.
Earlier, some towns in Isabela reported cases of ASF that caused the depopulation of hogs in the affected farms and their surroundings to prevent the further spread of the ASF that may compromise the local hog industry.
The governor explained that the implementation of the total ban on the entry, transport and buying of live hogs and pork-based products from Isabela is a precautionary measure for there might be other positive ASF cases unmonitored in other municipalities or areas outside Isabela.
The city chief executive ordered all meat vendors and all other concerned stakeholders to coordinate with the Provincial Veterinary Office should there any case of shipping in or buying of live hogs, pork and pork-based products from Isabela so that immediate confiscation and destruction will be implemented on all live hogs, pork and pork-based products upon interception at established quarantine checkpoints along national and provincial roads leading to the various parts of the province.
No ASF case has been reported in the other parts of the province since Rizal town was placed under the pink zone category early this year.
Edduba urged local hog raisers and meat vendors to adhere to the implementation of the temporary total ban on the entry of live hogs and pork-based products from Isabela to prevent untoward incidents that might trigger the further spread of the animal virus to local hog farms.
ASF can affect pigs of any age with high mortality rates. The key clinical signs include blue-purple cyanosis of snout, ears, tail and lower legs; high fever; and heavy discharge from eyes and nose.
ASF resembles classical swine fever (CSF) (hog cholera) so closely that laboratory tests are required to differentiate them. The clinical signs and post-mortem lesions of the two diseases are almost indistinguishable. ASF is caused by a unique virus which is distinct from that of CSF and which infects only domestic and wild pigs and a variety of soft bodied ticks. The virus is endemic in Africa south of the equator, in warthogs and bush pigs, but the infection in them produces no clinical disease. It circulates between warthogs and the soft bodied ticks which inhabit their burrows. The ticks transmit it through all stages of their life cycle and perpetuate it. It is also endemic in the domestic pigs of some African countries.
Edduba urged the public to be vigilant by ensuring that there will be no illegal entry of live hogs and pork-based products and for anyone to immediately report to authorities any illegal entry of hogs for monitoring purposes.
