The Davao City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) has identified five barangays in three districts as red zones or areas with cases of African swine fever (ASF).
Intensive monitoring and surveillance are being conducted in all barangays.
CVO Acting Division Chief of Animal Husbandry Disease Prevention & Control Division Dr. Gay Zaragosa Pallar bared this in a Viber chat interview with the City Information (CIO) on Thursday afternoon, January 20, 2022.
She said considered red zones are barangays Inayangan, Lamanan, Dominga of Calinan District; Barangay Magsaysay of Marilog District; and Barangay Colosas of Paquibato District.
“But some of which are isolated cases and considered to be a case of incursion. Recently, we have isolated cases in Bankas Heights of Toril District but controlled na rin (it has also been controlled) and swine blood sampling within 500 meters turned out to be negative of the ASF virus,” Dr. Pallar said.
She said that they conduct weekly ASF disease monitoring and surveillance in all barangays to check if there are new cases of swine mortality.
“We also conduct intensive monitoring in all main and satellite animal quarantine checkpoints (ACQs) in Lasang, Sirawan, Buda, Sta. Ana Wharf, Km. 11, Bangayan, and Davao-Samal,” she said, adding that
satellite ACQs are located in barangays Magsaysay and Dalaglumot in Marilog District, Bosque, Bunawan and Callawa, Buhangin, and Eden in Toril.
RT-PCR test/blood sampling within 500 meters from identified reported areas with swine mortalities and intensive sampling of pork byproducts, such as chorizo in all public markets in the city are also being done.
Dr. Pallar said that strict compliance with Executive Orders No. 39 and 70 are also being enforced, especially in the releasing of veterinary health certificates, animal inspection certificates, and other documents for food security measures.
The CVO, assisted by the Department of Agriculture- Bureau of Animal Industry, had a sentineling or repopulation program wherein 130 pigs were distributed to Barangay Inayangan (40 pigs, 15 recipients), Barangay Lamanan (30 pigs, 10 recipients), and Barangay Dominga (60 pigs, 30 recipients) – all of Calinan District. “This is in addition to the indemnification assistance given by the city to the affected farmers,” she said.
During the ASF outbreak in Davao City, a budget of P27 million for local farmers’ assistance was approved.
Dr. Pallar also urged all swine raisers to practice biosecurity measures in their farms.
“Even backyard raisers should practice the same to prevent further ASF infection. Follow ASF guidelines/protocol, this is concerning all Davao City constituents who are engaging in swine, pork-product, and by-products as a commodity,” she added. CIO
