Pig farms in Bulacan struggle with hog cholera

The provincial government of Bulacan on Thursday said it is closely monitoring eleven pig farms in Santa Maria town after detecting a viral disease that attacks hogs and boars. "There were several backyard raisers who reported the infection and now we are monitoring the animals that come in and go out of these animal farms," said Bulacan Gov. Jonathan "Jonjon" Mendoza in a radio interview. Classic swine fever or hog cholera, which usually attacks young swine, is manifested by skin hemorrhage, high fever, and exhaustion among infected animals. The governor said that previously reported cases of the disease had prompted them to create in 2003 a task force to monitor the entry and exit of the animals. "We just have a little problem right now," he added. Asked if humans can contract the disease, Mendoza said, "No, but we suggest that racers immediately kill infected animals so as to prevent the spread of the virus." Davinio Catbagan, Bureau of Animal Industry director, in a television interview gave consumers several pointers to help them detect if meat being sold in the markets have been exposed to the "purely animal-only disease." Catbagan advised the public to look for the seal of the National Food Inspection Commission or the local government stamped on the meat they are buying. He also said meat infected by such a disease releases a smell of urine or an antibiotic, adding that it "is pale in color and does not look fresh." Meanwhile, other pork suppliers in nearby Pampanga and Nueva Ecija are also closely being watched for possible infection in its animals, a GMA News report said. Although admitting their business is suffering, market vendors in the town remain undeterred by the presence of the disease. "We are affected. Our sales became sluggish even if we don't have the virus here. Pigs in Sta. Maria are safe because as soon as they enter the slaughter house, a veterinarian inspects them," one vendor related, adding that her family even had pork for dinner the night before. Another radio report said provincial veterinarians have installed checkpoints to prevent infected animals from leaving or entering the province. Carriers of the hog cholera include personnel, vehicles, instruments, and even waste food given to pigs. Hog cholera is classified as a List A disease, meaning it not only poses a barrier to animal trade but is also highly infectious and spreads rapidly. In 2002, the government launched a program targeted at freeing the country from the disease by 2012. The implementation phase, which included massive vaccinations, and monitoring of protected zones, started in 2003 and will end this year. Last Monday, two people died while dozens fell ill in Vietnam after eating pork found to have been infected with a bacteria that hits pigs called Streptococcus suis. Two weeks ago, Bulacan experienced a fishkill in Balagtas town that left almost 50,000 kilos of tilapia dead. Owners that run the 20-hectare affected fishpond suspect that the incident stemmed from waste dumped into the river by nearby factories. - with a report from AP, GMANews.TV