ASF kills 50 hogs in Capiz town

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — Around 50 hogs died at a farm in Barangay Banate, Pontevedra, Capiz, due to suspected African swine fever.

Alias Jelord, a hog raiser from the area, said the problem started last week after he noticed that some pigs had lost their appetite while others had become weak.

He said rashes also appeared on the animals’ bodies, and their condition worsened.

The owner sought medicine and other remedies to save the hogs, but they died daily after two to three weeks.

In all, 24 piglets, 10 hogs and more than 10 fatteners died.

Because of the number of deaths, Jelord said he cooked some of the meat and gave it to others, while some were used as feed for fish in his fishpond.

Last year, he said, he lost a large amount of money after his hog-raising business was affected by ASF.

He said he was considering shifting to another business because of the losses, while Capiz has yet to be declared ASF-free.

Jelord said he has not received financial assistance from the government because his hog-raising business is not registered with the local government, one of the requirements for aid.

He urged other hog raisers to register their animals and follow biosecurity measures against ASF.

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. It does not infect humans, but outbreaks can cause heavy losses to hog raisers because infected and exposed animals are often culled to prevent the disease from spreading.