An outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in Silago town, Southern Leyte, affecting three barangays and prompting the local government to consider declaring a state of calamity.
Silago Mayor Lemuel Honor said the ASF outbreak has caused about P7 million in losses to the town’s swine industry.
‘We have imposed strict measures to stop the spread of ASF in our town,’ he said on Tuesday.
The first cases were detected in Barangay Laguma on Oct. 2, where 10 pigs tested positive and about 100 were culled. The virus later spread to Barangays Hingatungan and Imelda, with 21 pigs infected in Hingatungan – the town’s largest pig-raising area.
Pig and pork product movements have been banned from affected areas, with checkpoints, disinfection drives, and cleaning operations in place.
The municipal council is expected to declare a state of calamity on Thursday, Oct. 16, to access emergency funds for affected hog raisers.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. While harmless to humans, it is almost always fatal to infected pigs, with a mortality rate that can reach 100 percent. The disease has no cure or vaccine./coa