By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental recorded more than 2,000 swine deaths due to hog cholera since April of this year, despite the province remaining free from African swine fever (ASF).

Based on data presented during an emergency meeting on animal biosecurity yesterday morning, the province logged a total of 2,421 hog deaths, with Bago City recording the highest number at 755.

San Enrique town was tagged as a “red zone” after the locality recorded 726 hog deaths due to hog illness.

Hog cholera has affected 546 raisers in 57 barangays.

San Enrique Mayor Jilson Tubillara, who was also at the meeting, said all 10 villages in the municipality are affected by hog cholera.

The numbers could even be higher as some hog raisers are not yet to report hog deaths in their respective farms, he added.

Tubillara said the dead pigs were buried using a backhoe.

He pointed out the town used to be a catch basin in the fourth district, the reason why hog cholera may have spread in the locality.

He added that the irresponsible dumping of dead pigs from the upland areas has also infected the hogs.

Tubillara also made a suggestion to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to further tighten border controls in the province and limit the movement of animals.

Meanwhile, Lacson said he would issue another executive order forming the Incident Management Team to monitor the health of hogs.

He said the findings of the Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas show all 27 samples have tested negative for ASF.

Despite the province remaining ASF-free, Lacson said they have already begun preparations for the possible entry of the hog illness into the province.

Lacson ordered all local government units to set up border controls to limit the movement of sick pigs.

The provincial government will not stop hog raisers from shipping their livestock out of the province as long as they provide the required shipping documents at the border control points, he said.

According to the Iowa State University in the United States, hog cholera, also known as “classical swine fever,” is a highly contagious disease of swine.

The disease occurs in most major swine-raising countries where eradication programs have not been successfully implemented.

The disease is currently endemic, mostly in Asia.

However, unlike ASF, there is an existing vaccine for hog cholera. The virus is also harmless to humans.

Among the noted symptoms of hog cholera include fever, loss of appetite, dullness, weakness, conjunctivitis, constipation followed by diarrhea, and an unsteady gait.

Several days after the onset of the symptoms, the ears, abdomen and inner thighs may show a purple discoloration.

Animals with acute diseases die within one to two weeks./DGB, WDJ