Gwen to DA 7: Stop random testing of pigs

Last updated Mar 15, 2023

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Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to stop the “indiscriminate testing of hogs in affected barangays in Carcar City.”

This, after Garcia ordered the suspension of the culling of pigs in Carcar City amid the threat of African swine fever (ASF).

Tests should be conducted only if the hogs manifest ASF symptoms, according to the governor. (https://bit.ly/3JGxfWa)

She made the statement following the announcement of Cebu City to step up its animal health surveillance by conducting daily testing of pigs in several barangays to prevent the entry of the ASF virus.

ASF symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin reddening or darkening, among others.

On Tuesday, Garcia called on DA Central Visayas Director Angel Enriquez to stop the random testing of the pigs, saying that the pigs in a Carcar slaughterhouse which were reported to have tested positive for ASF on March 1 may merely have hog cholera.

There were no mass pig deaths that followed the discovery of the positive results, she explained.

ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that can result in a 100 percent fatality rate in pigs. Infectious pigs are supposed to pass within a few days after becoming infected.