The Department of Agriculture announced that the first case of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been detected in the town of Dulag in Leyte on Friday.
The Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) conducted tests in a barangay in Dulag and later on confirmed that ASF caused the unusual death of one swine.
The ASF case was further confirmed following results of the PCR diagnostic test conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry in Manila.
The town is about 43.8 km. away from Abuyog, Leyte, where the region’s first ASF case was confirmed on Jan. 14 and five days later, detected in its nearby towns of Javier and La Paz.
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“Our appeal to the local government units in the adjoining areas is to take immediate action and seriously address the spread of the animal disease by forming or reactivating its task force to regulate the movement of swine and processed products going in and out of their respective areas,” Angel Enriquez, DA Eastern Visayas head said in a statement.
Hog raisers are now being oriented on how to manage and handle the ASF situation to prevent an outbreak from happening.
As of Jan. 27, at least 1,600 swine have been culled in affected towns to contain the spread of the disease.
Hogs affected by ASF usually manifest high fever, distinct reddish spots on the neck, chest, and extremities, and bleeding of internal organs that could lead to death within two to 10 days. (TDT)
