TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The City Veterinary Services Office (CVSO) on Monday appealed to backyard hog raisers of Brgy. Lacnog West to report incidents of sick and dead swine to establish the cause of illness or death, and practice proper disposal of carcasses.
The appeal was in reaction to the report of Brgy. Chairman Sanchez Olya-on about the sudden death of eight pigs and 15 piglets in the area.
In an interview, Olya-on said that owners of the swine were quick to bury the animals without first being examined by the CVSO to know what caused the death, while some of the animals were butchered and the meat distributed to the neighborhood, or sold at a cheaper price.
The official claimed that it was utterly irresponsible on the part of the swine owners to butcher dead pigs and have the “botcha” meat given away, or sold as this could cause the spread of any disease or have adverse health consequences.
The mishandling of the dead pigs and its carcass worries Dr. Samaita Joy Versoza of CVSO, who spearheaded the lecture on African Swine Fever (ASF) and rabies control and prevention in the Barangay on Monday saying
“animals which are in poor health are entitled to proper and competent treatment, and that in case of death, protocols have to be followed, and the vet office is always willing to assist affected hog raisers.
Versoza pointed out that “botcha” or “double dead” meat is considered “hot meat” and consumption of the same is unsafe.
During the session, one of the participants who had been given some “double dead” meat by a neighbor expressed his regret after experiencing stomach issues after consumption of the same.
But the pig farmer who distributed the meat to his neighbors claimed he didn’t want to throw it away or waste it, so he gave some to them without thinking about the potential health risks.
Versoza said that in light of this incident, the city government and the CVSO will continue to hold public awareness campaigns to instruct hog raisers on how to care for sick animals in order to stop the spread of disease and to discourage owners from butchering dead animals in order to sell or give them away, thereby reducing the risk to the public’s health. By Darwin S. Serion
