Nineteen pigs were culled in Barangay Quiot, Cebu City after nine hogs tested positive for African Swine Fever (ASF), prompting the city government to strengthen monitoring and movement controls to prevent further transmission.
The Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) confirmed on Friday that the affected hogs were humanely depopulated and buried after laboratory tests detected ASF in blood samples collected from the animals.
The clarification came after Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. earlier said that around 20 pigs were culled as part of the city’s response to the suspected ASF cases.
The DVMF said the city completed its containment response within 15 days from the detection of the ASF-positive cases and prevented the spread of the disease beyond the affected area.
Following the confirmation, the veterinary office expanded surveillance through random testing and monitoring in nearby barangays while intensifying information campaigns on ASF prevention and farm biosecurity.
Authorities also imposed inter-barangay movement controls to regulate the transport of live pigs and pork products and reduce the risk of disease transmission.
The department said the measures were implemented alongside Executive Order No. 86, which Archival signed before the ASF detection to strengthen the city’s preparedness against the disease.
Prior to the confirmed cases, the city government had already conducted consultations with rural barangays to discuss ASF preparedness and educate backyard hog raisers on proper biosecurity practices.
The city also coordinated with the Bureau of Animal Industry–Veterinary Quarantine Service Region 7, Cebu Port Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Cebu City Police Office, Cebu City Market Operations Division, and the Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative to strengthen disease prevention efforts.
Monitoring was likewise increased at Cebu Ports 1, 2, and 3 and the Pasil Fish Port to regulate the entry of live hogs, pork, and pork products into the city.
Under Executive Order No. 86, traders and transporters bringing live hogs and pork products into Cebu City are required to secure additional documentary clearances.
Transporters of live hogs must present a Certificate of ASF-Free Status, negative ASF laboratory test results, a Veterinary Health Certificate indicating Cebu City as the destination, a Local Shipping Permit, a Livestock Handler’s Permit, and a Certificate of Acceptance from the DVMF.
Those transporting pork and pork products must secure the required meat inspection or importation documents, a Local Shipping Permit, and a Certificate of Acceptance before shipment.
The DVMF urged hog raisers to immediately report unusual illnesses or deaths among their animals, follow strict biosecurity measures, and consider livestock insurance to reduce losses during disease outbreaks.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs but does not infect humans. While it does not pose a food safety risk, the disease can cause high mortality among hogs and result in major economic losses for raisers.
With no commercially available cure for ASF, authorities rely on surveillance, movement restrictions, biosecurity measures, and humane culling of infected animals to contain its spread.
Photo courtesy of Pederson Farms
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