MAASIN CITY  (PIA)  --  The provincial government of Southern Leyte has issued a new memorandum order in a heightened effort to limit the resurgence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the place where it was confirmed, in barangay Mac, Sogod.

Executive Order No. 38, signed by Gov. Damian Mercado on July 13, regulates “entry and movement of live hogs, pork, pork-related products and by-products into and within the province . . . establishing ASF prevention and control measures.”

On March 31 this year, the first reported ASF case occurred in Barangay Katipunan, Silago, where returning workers from an ASF-infested piggery farm in Abuyog were suspected as the main carriers.

The Silago case was successfully stopped from spreading further as authorities, armed with an earlier executive order, moved swiftly to restrict swine trading and transit of pork products, Dr. Francisco Cabarrubias, provincial veterinarian, reported during the Emergency ASF Executive Committee Meeting on July 13 at the governor’s office.

The Mac, Sogod incident, the second infection in four months, was confirmed on July 8 by the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at the Department of Agriculture regional office, and this was traced to a wild hog caught, slaughtered and distributed to neighbors, Cabarrubias added.

Days before the hunting, several dead bodies of wild pigs were discovered, and this was suspected as the cause of contamination that spread to the doors of Barangay Mac hog raisers, leading to deaths of domesticated swine, Cabarrubias also said.

The ASF management protocol was immediately implemented, in which backyard pigs within the 500-meter radius from the center were deliberately culled, while the next 500 meters was marked as the surveillance zone.

In the inventory following the confirmation of the virus, Brgy. Mac had a population of 500 heads of pigs, but the exact number of culled animals was not immediately known as the culling operation was held Thursday.

Checkpoints in the boundaries of Libagon and Bontoc were also quickly installed so that no infected hog can escape, it was learned.  (LDL/MMP/PIA-8/Southern Leyte)