DA: No swine disease in region

Department of Agriculture regional director Eduardo Lecciones has assured that meat in Region VII is safe from viral diseases unlike in Region IV where the Transmissible Gastroenteritis or Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea has caused meat prices to soar.

The swine farms in Region IV have suffered up to 100 percent in mortality rate. The disease attacks suckling piglets.

Piglets affected with the disease display watery greenish diarrhea and vomiting due to dehydration.

Considering that there is no known vaccine available to contain the disease, Lecciones said preventive mechanisms should be in place.

Local veterinarians have been ordered to strictly monitor and prevent the entry of piglets from Region IV and the neighboring areas.

Felipe Bartolome, provincial veterinarian of Bulacan said the mortality rate on piglets in affected farms ranges from 80 to 100 percent while that of infected sows ranges from 40 to 70 percent.

To control the disease, scouring litters must be culled, sows and sick litters must be removed from the breeding barn and sows that are old, weak, thin or otherwise deemed unproductive must be removed from the herd.

All buildings that are empty must be washed, scrubbed, disinfected, dried and should remain unoccupied for one week. - Ferliza C. Contratista