Personnel of the Provincial Veterinary Office and the municipal agriculture offices has begun an active surveillance for African Swine Fever (ASF) in Pandan and nearby towns after a piglet reportedly tested positive for the viral disease last week.
According to Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Jane Rubio, disease investigation showed that one out of two (2) piglets tested positive for ASF through rapid antigen test conducted by the PVO.
The piglet, a two-month-old that allegedly came from Caramoran, was positive for ASF thru an RT-PCR Test conducted by Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Health Regional Office V.
“For now, it is an isolated case,” Dr. Rubio disclosed, citing the fact that the blood sample taken from the other piglet raised adjacent to the pigpen of the sick piglet yielded negative results.
The ASF-positive piglet was immediately killed and buried to prevent the further spread of the virus, she said.
The PVO stated that an active surveillance of the deadly disease through blood collection and testing shall be done in the entire municipality of Pandan and other municipalities for early detection, early containment and control as the case maybe.
The unfortunate development comes a month after Governor Joseph Cua directed all municipal mayors and barangay captains in Catanduanes to strictly implement border control and strengthen the monitoring of ASF and other animal diseases in order to prevent recurrence of infection.
In Memorandum No. 134 issued on May 20, 2024, the chief executive also advised the local officials to activate their respective Municipal and Barangay ASF Task Force.
The memo urged the ASF Task Forces to implement border control and monitoring of illegal shipments by putting them on “on hold” status and immediately endorsing the same to the Provincial ASF Task Force for appropriate action.
The alert came after it was reported that the ASF outbreak had recurred in the province of Albay, particularly at the Albay Breeding Station in Camalig town and recently in the municipality of Tiwi.
“Because of its proximity to our island province, the possibility of dumping of infected hogs for sale at low cost in the province is not remote,” the governor emphasized.
Meat buyers have expressed apprehension that if the disease spreads anew in Pandan and nearby towns, it could lead to higher prices of pork at public markets and elsewhere.
In the capital town of Virac, pork is now being sold at P320 per kilo at the market and in licensed meat dealers in several barangays, up from P300 per kilo a week earlier.
Meat dealers claimed that they have been prohibited from buying live hogs from Caramoran and nearby towns. One can buy hogs in San Miguel town but they can’t be brought in.
The Tribune has yet to confirm if the other LGUs have instituted similar border control measures to prevent a repeat of the previous ASF outbreak.
It may be recalled that ASF was first detected in the last quarter of 2020, with 40 hogs dead from the disease or depopulated at the Catanduanes State University and nearby Danicop.
It then spread to nine other towns, with only Bagamanoc spared of the mass slaughter of pigs after blood samples taken from suspected ASF cases tested negative at the RADDL.
By the end of February 2021, a total of 1,870 sick and healthy pigs were depopulated, PVO records show, with the bulk coming from Bato (434), San Andres (377) and Virac (276).
By March 2021, the ASF outbreak caused a 61-percent decline in the island’s swine population that dropped to just 6,224 from the 2020 census of 16,065 heads.
By mid-2023, however, six towns in Catanduanes have been officially declared free of African Swine Fever (ASF), with the other five towns following later.
Meanwhile, the Provincial ASF Task Force was recently reconstituted by Gov. Cua, who heads the task force as chairman, with Dr. Rubio as co-chairman.
Under Executive Order No. 35, Series of 2024, issued last June 13, designated as members are: DILG Provincial Director Uldarico Razal Jr., Catanduanes Police Directopr PCol. Rayan Ador, Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial Federation President PBM Tito Villamor, SP Agriculture Committee chair PBM Edwin Tanael, PDRRM Officer Luis Surtida Jr., Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Rizalina Tañon, PAFC NGO Representative Anita Tasarra, DA-CHUDS OIC Dean Medrano, PENRO Imelda Baltazar, PPA Port Manager John Lato, CAAP Manager Primo Eleda, CatSU Pres. Patrick Alain Azanza, DepEd Division Superintendent Socorro dela Rosa, PIA Infocen Manager Edna Bagadiong, Radyo Pilipinas Manager Arlene Bagadiong, Catanduanes Tribune Publisher Fernan Gianan, and Radyo Natin’s Rey Boton.
Different agencies also comprise the Rapid Action Team, Monitoring and Surveillance Team, Quarantine Team, Census Team, and IEC Team.
Under the guidelines, the task force is to provide a continuous update on all information and advisories on ASF from concerned agencies; maintain an open line of communication and coordinate efforts at all times among concerned agencies and constituents in all activities relative to the prevention of any ASF incident; and undertake all actions or measures on a respectful, reasonable and non-oppressive manner for the general welfare of the people.