ZAMBOANGA CITY – The city government's African swine fever (ASF) task force has placed two villages here under lockdown and commenced the depopulation of hogs due to the presence of ASF cases.
Dr. Arnedo Agbayani, the assistant city veterinarian, said Tuesday Barangays Pasonanca and Mangusu were placed on lockdown after blood samples from the area turned positive for ASF infection.
Agbayani said the results were confirmed by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture in General Santos City.
“There is no movement of live hogs, pork products, and by-products from the infected areas,” Agbayani said, referring to the two villages.
He said 78 hogs were culled in Sitio Canucutan in Barangay Pasonanca as they started Monday the depopulation of swine to prevent the spread of the disease in other parts of the city.
The depopulation of hogs in Upper and Lower Mangusu in Barangay Mangusu started Tuesday afternoon.
However, Agbayani made it clear that the local supply of pork products will not be affected as the infected areas are not among the major suppliers of swine.
Agbayani maintained that there is no declaration yet by the Department of Agriculture that the city is an ASF red zone.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs. In its acute form, the disease generally results in high mortality. (PNA)
