TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Aug 10 (PIA)—Two more weeks and dedicated authorities tasked to contain the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus that has caused the 9 family pigfarms in Purok 6, San Vicente Pilar could be declared successful, until another Boholano would be stupid enough to break protocols and smuggle in another contaminant.
According to the Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, Department of Agriculture – Administrative Circular No. 02 series of 2022, says that a confirmed outbreak places a place or a province in a Red Zone Infected Zone if it can qualify with the three conditions.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA aired live and on delayed broadcast at DyTR AM, Dr. Lapiz said the said circular says that aside from a confirmed outbreak, in the case of Pilar, the confirmation coming from the DA Regional Laboratory Research and Development Facility.
Secondly, there has to be an indication of another case of infection, be it in a pig-farm or a barangay outside of the index premise or the first identified and confirmed place of infection.
Finally, the second reported and confirmed case erupted within 15 days from the first confirmed case.
For Bohol, the case of San Vicente Pilar puts the island positive with the incursion of the viral disease, but then, aggressive control and prevention measures surgically implemented has kept Bohol from escalating to the second and third conditions.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Immediately after the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian validated the reports of the case of viral infection in PIlar, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado issued Executive Order No. 37, series of 2023, which tasked the Provincial ASF Task Force to initiate measures to control the spread of the disease and treat the cases as ASF, despite the pending confirmation from the regional laboratory.
As the governor was drafting his Executive Order, the OPV and the ASF Task Force conducted measures to eliminate infected animals as source of infection and dispose of them according to the national policies on disease outbreaks.
Then, a few days later, the governor issued Executive Order No. 41, declaring Purok 6 of San Vicente Pilar as ASF infected area and identifying the quarantine area and the surveillance areas.
The team in place then identified the areas of concern: the index premise and its 100 meter radius, the quarantine area which is the next 500 meter radius to 1 kilometer radius from the infected area or index premise, and the surveillance area which is by national policy, is 7 kilometers radius from index premise.
Aumentado also issued Memorandum Order No 2023-074 to all mayors in Bohol, mandating heightened ASF vigilance and strengthening border control in coastal municipalities.
This ordered the continuous activation of the municipal ASF IATaskForce to conduct information, education and communication advocacy, surveillance and trainings including logistical preparations, creation of Barangay ASF InterAgency Task Force and to set up checkpoints to prevent entry of banned pork and pork products as well as live pigs.
DIRTY WORK
The first thing was to cordon the vicinity of the infected farms which involved 9 household pigfarms, keep stray animals away from the identified pigpens, as they too can bring out the virus and contaminate other areas, ASF Task Force members explained.
While the provincial government hired two individuals to do daily dis-infection in the infected premises, foot-mats have to be installed in the infected households, to make sure they could not carry the virus outside when they venture for food and other household needs, Dr Lapiz shared.
Their movements are also regulated, and as for their food supply, Provincial Administrator Aster Caberte committed the provincial government’s relief assistance in the affected households to keep them inside for 15 days.
For all households in the affected farms, they are given disinfectants, hand sprayers and are not allowed to accept visitors for the next 15 days and had to undergo disinfection every time they leave the house, as to protocols.
From the index premise or infected area, it was a bit of luck because considering San Vicente and its distances between houses, aside from the pigs in the 9 identified houses stamped and eliminated to take out the source of infection, there were 3 more within the 100 meters that have to be stamped, even when these tested negative for the viral infection, sources at the OPV said.
Considering that the source of infection could also be the commercial feeds supplied from outside the area, these, including farm implements have to be disposed, to be thorough.
At this, dirty teams from the ASF Task Force collected blood samples from the animals within the infected area before stamping them, and then from 100 meter radius placed under quarantine area and the surveillance area.
These, according to the lady vet, has to be tested and confirmed for the presence of the virus and the viral load that could cause the animal to fall sick.
When the tests came back, the blood samples from the index premise showed positive for ASF, while those within the first 100 meter radius from the infection tested negative.
Succeeding tests and confirmation from the blood samples collected within 500 meters also tested negative, she reported at the Kapihan.
Even then, authorities cognizant of the 6 billion hog industry in Bohol insured strengthened checkpoint operations with K9 meat sniffers, regulated movement of pigs in the surveillance areas and outside while implementing no movement of pigs even with negative results if these are from the quarantine areas.
Now complemented by additional squads from the Philippine National Police and the Army detachment in Pilar, authorities note Bohol’s surviving the first 15 days since the infection without any new case yet.
Having passed the initial 15 days, the next 15 days would soon determine the fate of Bohol whether cleared or finally waste the last five years of efforts and hard work in keeping Bohol ASF Free. (rahc/PIA7/Bohol)
