By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) is seriously considering declaring a hog cholera outbreak as cases continue to increase in the province.

Dr. Ryan Janoya, chief of the PVO-Research and Laboratory Services, said the hog mortality rate due to hog cholera among local government units (LGUs) is increasing.

Janoya said the 2,421 recorded hog deaths as of Tuesday, May 16, are still being revalidated as the PVO received information that some pigs did not die due to cholera, but from heat stroke and other swine illnesses such as pneumonia.

He added that if an outbreak is declared, the LGUs will be able to use their calamity funds.

Earlier, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson had already issued an executive order forming the Provincial Incident Management Team to monitor hog cholera cases in the province.

The team also sent 27 hog blood samples to the Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas, which later tested negative for African swine fever (ASF).

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

Lacson has ordered all LGUs to set up border controls in all villages to limit the movement of pigs.

However, he said they will not stop hog raisers from shipping their livestock out of the province unless they provide the required shipping documents at the border control points.

Hog cholera, also known as “classical swine fever,” is a highly contagious swine disease.

It 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./DGB, WDJ