African swine flu hits Benguet towns

By Dexter A. See

MANKAYAN, Benguet –This mining town became the 10th municipality in Benguet that reported cases of African swine flu (ASF) from backyard and commercial hog raisers.
    The ASF cases in the municipality were detected in three of the town's 12 barangay (villages) over the past several days.
ASF has been reported in nine municipalities - La Trinidad, Itogon, Tuba, Sablan, Tublay, Atok, Kabayan, Bokod and Buguias - that led to the mass depopulation and culling of infected hogs the past several months.
    Provincial veterinarian Dr. Miriam Tiongan said four local hog raisers from Barangay Bulalacao, Suyoc and Taneg reported deaths among their hogs that caused them to request for the conduct of tests to ascertain the reason for the death of their pigs.
Tiongan said based on investigation by personnel from the provincial veterinary office and the municipal agriculture office, the cause of the ASF infection in Barangay Suyoc was the alleged contaminated pork brought in to the barangay; while for the case of the infection in Barangay Bulalacao, it was the boar semen that was brought to the area from San Fernando City, Pampanga, which was supposed to be inseminated to one of the sows of the local hog raiser.
    According to her, the three remaining ASF-free municipalities in Benguet are Kibungan, Kapangan and Bakun.
    After receiving the reports on the death of the pigs by the hog raisers, Tiongan claimed that immediate tests were conducted that showed positive results that led to the depopulation of the remaining hogs to prevent the further spread of the animal illness in other parts of the said barangay.