THE REPORTED resurgence in deaths of pigs in the upland village of Bonbon here should not be a cause for alarm.
Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said the city government, particularly the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fishery (DVMF), is on top of efforts to prevent the spread of the African swine fever (ASF).
“So, right now, it is still premature to say that Cebu City is ASF-infected, pending the 15-day period and the next round of testing,” Garcia said in an interview.
The confirmatory testing was conducted last week.
“Once there is a second round of testing, and there are still positive cases, then we should be alarmed. But if the second round of testing shows that the pigs we tested in the periphery are now negative, then Cebu City is ASF-free,” Garcia added.
Following the test results, Garcia said a 15-day containment period is enforced to prevent the spread of the disease, along with a second round of blood testing in the contained area.
Dr. Alice Utlang, head of the DVMF, told the Philippine News Agency that there were two confirmed cases in Sitio Guila-Guila of Barangay Bonbon.
Last week, Utlang and her team went to Bonbon to collect blood samples following reports that several pigs displayed ASF symptoms. (John Rey Saavedra)
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