Zamboanga City remains under the Red Zone category of Asian Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak that has already taken its toll on 158 hog raisers or farmers in six affected barangays.
A report from the Office of the City Veterinarian (OCVet) showed that as of June 8, some 651 hogs have died of the viral disease, while 430 more were culled out of the 1,081 heads monitored.
Among the affected farmers, 37 were at Sitio Canucutan, Pasonanca with 180 hog mortalities; 35 in Lower and Inner portions of Mangusu with 211 hog deaths; 18 in Udjung, Bunguiao with 64 hog mortalities; 51 at Presa and Zone 3, Curuan with 92 mortalities; 1 in Corote, Manicahan with 1 death and; 16 at Camino Nuevo, Vitali with 103 hogs dead.
The city government through the OCVet has conducted such activities as depopulation at Camino Nuevo, Vitali (5 heads) and disease investigation at Sitio Cansilayan, Bunguiao; distribution of food assistance to the affected families in Mangusu, Curuan, Bunguiao and Vitali; depopulation at Zone 3 Market Site, Curuan (27 heads) and disease surveillance in Vitali. Stricter border control and quarantine checkpoints remain enforced.
To recall, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on May 23 declared Zamboanga City under the ASF Red Zone or outbreak category.
The declaration was based on the DA Administrative Circular No. 12 series of 2019 that created the National Zoning and Movement Plan for the Prevention and Control of ASF, a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic pigs.
Zoning is one of the internationally recognized strategies recommended by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) or the World Organization for Animal Health to prevent the spread of any animal disease. (Cecil Abuy)Â