ASF kills over 500 pigs in Negros Occidental

BACOLOD CITY — More than 500 pigs have died in San Enrique, Negros Occidental, following a resurgence of African Swine Fever (ASF), Mayor Jilson Tubillara confirmed on Tuesday.

In a statement, Tubillara said all 10 barangays in the town have been affected, with laboratory tests confirming the outbreak on Monday.

Local authorities have imposed border controls and strengthened biosecurity measures to prevent the further spread of the virus.

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Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said ASF cases have been confirmed by local laboratories and the Bureau of Animal Industry, with the outbreak concentrated in the southern part of the province.

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He said the province’s pig mortality rate has reached 4.06% as of Tuesday.

Lacson noted that the latest figures may still rise, as the most recent official report was dated June 18, and stressed the need for strict compliance with biosecurity protocols.

Provincial authorities have reactivated containment measures used during last year’s outbreak, including the immediate burial of infected pigs with lime and the disinfection of affected areas.

READ: ASF cases in QC’s ‘lechon capital’ isolated, says agriculture official

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Tightened restrictions

The governor also urged hog raisers with healthy livestock to sell their animals early to avoid losses, assuring that proven protocols from the previous outbreak are being reinstated.

Meanwhile, local governments in Moises Padilla and La Castellana have tightened restrictions to protect livestock and public health, including bans on the entry of pork products and live swine and stricter enforcement against illegal meat sales.

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READ: DA to buy 32,000 female pigs to hasten hog sector’s recovery from ASF

Sagada cases

In Sagada, Mountain Province, the municipal government has issued an executive order imposing temporary restrictions on the movement, transport, and sale of live hogs and pork products after reports of sick and dying pigs in three barangays.

Authorities said the cases have not been confirmed as ASF, as test results so far have returned negative, with one sample still pending.

The order prohibits the transport and sale of hogs and pork products from central barangays and restricts the entry of pork from outside Sagada unless accompanied by proper veterinary health certificates.

The local government said the measures aim to prevent the possible spread of disease and protect the town’s swine industry and livelihoods.

Officials urged compliance, warning that violations will be subject to applicable laws and regulations. With a report from Kimberlie Quitasol

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