Bacolod monitors swine mortality after detection of 2 suspected ASF cases

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The local government is monitoring if there are swine mortalities in barangays following the detection of two suspected cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) here last week.

Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez confirmed on Friday, May 26, that two pigs in Barangay Taculing tested positive for ASF, citing an initial test conducted by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-6 during their visit here.

After that recent development, Atty. Carlos Romeo Ting, Jr., head of the City Legal Office (CLO), said on Monday, May 29, that they have not received any report regarding swine mortalities over the weekend.

Ting said they are waiting for the result of the confirmatory test on the specimens of the two pigs.

Although the city has two suspected ASF cases, Ting said it is considered isolated.

“Isolated lang ini. Kay kabalo ta kung diin halin kag wala pa man sa iban na areas naglapta and damo nagkalamatay,” he added.

Benitez earlier said that two pigs came from a piggery in Bago City, Negros Occidental.

One was already dead when tested for ASF while the other was already weak.

Ting said they do not discount any possibilities of how these pigs were contaminated with ASF, adding that it might be from leftover food which was fed to these animals.

Ting said that authorities are also checking pigs within the 500-meter radius in Barangay Taculing to determine if there are others affected.

The city has initially tested a total of six specimens – four in Barangay Felisa, and two in Barangay Taculing. But, the pigs in Barangay Felisa tested negative for ASF, he said.