Mayor Evangelista directs City Vet to intensify efforts against ASF entry

NEWS | 2020/02/09 | LKRO

Mayor Evangelista directs City Vet to intensify efforts against ASF entry

KIDAPAWAN CITY – City Mayor Joseph Evangelista directed the City Veterinarian Office to enforce quarantine measures to contain possible entry of African swine fever here.

This will cover swine farms, and entry of hogs and pork meat products.

“We will establish additional quarantine areas to be manned by the City Government along entry and exit points in the city to contain the spread of ASF. I am planning to coordinate with our neighboring LGU’s especially the LGU of Makilala to set up quarantine points along its boundary with Davao del Sur to check swine and pork meat products passing here in our locality”, Mayor Evangelista said.

This after the Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of the ASF virus that is blamed to cause the death of hundreds of hogs in Davao Occidental.

All vehicles transporting swine or pork meat products entering the city will be inspected and disinfected.

City Veterinarian Dr. Eugene Gornez, during a meeting with the Mayor, revealed that his office will strictly enforce the “ 1-7-10” Protocol to contain possible outbreak of ASF in local swine farms.

This means that within 1-kilometer radius of infected farms, the City Government will prevent the movement of all live pigs, pork and pork-related products. All pigs tested positive within the area will be culled.

With respect to swine farms within a 7-kilometer radius, the City Vet will conduct surveillance procedures, test animals to determine the extent of infection and limit animal movement. Finally, in farms within a 10-kilometer radius, mandatory disease reporting and monitoring are required, Gornez said.

Blood samples will also be obtain from swine that manifest ASF symptoms such as fever, weakness and loss of appetite, Hyperanemia and cyanosis (seen as reddening) of the skin, particularly ears and snout, Coughing and increased respiratory rate, Vomiting and diarrhea (sometimes bloody.

These will be forwarded to the Department of Agriculture facility in General Santos City for testing and confirmation within a 24 hour period.

Once tested positive, infected swine within the 1 kilometer radius will all be culled to contain the spread of the ASF virus, Gornez explained.

The City Government calls the public to be calm and encouraged consumers to buy pork meat with appropriate NMIS or National Meat Inspection Service seal and veterinary health certificate issued by the OCVET sold in the Mega Market is safe for human consumption.

Mayor Evangelista is planning to hold a dialogue with local pork ‘lechon’ business operators and backyard hog raisers to orient how they can contain the spread of ASF. ##(cio/lkoasay)

Photo caption – Efforts against ASF entry intensified: City mayor Joseph Evangelista directs City LGU department heads to strictly monitor the entry of hogs and pork meat products in the city as preventive measures to combat African Swine Fever.(cio photo)