The Department of Agriculture (DA) has not yet confirmed whether African swine fever (ASF) causes pig deaths in some parts of the country, September 16.
Noel Reyes, the DA’s spokesperson, said no results from blood samples of pigs from Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quezon City showed ASF infections.
Reyes also clarified that the process for confirming if pigs have ASF is not immediate. The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has also validated it.
As for the case in Quezon City, city veterinarians also took blood samples from the pigs after its owner noticed that his pigs did not have any appetite.
Meanwhile, Reyes reminded the public that the disposal of dead animals in the wrong place is strictly prohibited. Doing such was a violation of the Republic Act 93 or the Waste Management Act or maybe under the Republic Act 8495 or the Animal Welfare Act.
DA issued the warning after residents in Bambang discovered about a dozen dead pigs were thrown behind a terminal.
55 dead pigs thrown in Marikina River suspected to have ASF
On Thursday morning until Friday afternoon, Marikina City Veterinary Service Office (VSO) recovered about 55 dead pigs along the Marikina River.
They immediately buried the dead pigs to prevent further disease based on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) notice.
Meanwhile, dead pigs were believed to have been brought to the river in Rizal town, especially Rodriguez and San Mateo because there was no piggery or slaughterhouse in the city of Marikina, so investigations are ongoing.
Also read: Facts about African Swine Fever