EDITORIAL - ASF the Christmas Grinch

Relegated to the back seat in the corruption scandal in infrastructure projects, African swine fever has reminded the nation about the risks posed by the disease.

After a recent routine inspection, the Quezon City government found it necessary to temporarily shut down beginning Wednesday night 14 lechon stalls in La Loma, a district famous for its roast pigs.

The Bureau of Animal Industry as well as the City Veterinary and Health Departments recommended the closure after several pigs in the lechon stalls tested positive for ASF.

Disinfection is being undertaken in the affected areas while diseased pigs and swine parts are being disposed of, according to the city government. Veterinary officials have assured the public that the ASF cases are isolated and have not spread to other markets in Metro Manila.

Veterinary officials also reiterated that ASF does not jump to humans. Even ASF-infected pork can still be eaten if properly cooked, experts have said.

But ASF gives pork an unpalatable appearance, which can bring down their selling price or turn off consumers. ASF is highly contagious and fatal to pigs, and can spread rapidly if not contained properly, decimating hog farms and raising pork prices.

Since the first ASF outbreak in the Philippines, in Rizal province in July 2019, national swine production has progressively declined. As of April last year, ASF outbreaks had been reported in 73 provinces. About five million pigs have died or were depopulated to prevent the spread of ASF, resulting in losses estimated by pork producers at over P200 billion.

Today, controlled vaccinations are being carried out and biosecurity measures implemented to prevent the spread of ASF.

Still, as of Oct. 13 this year, the government recorded ASF in 31 barangays in seven provinces. While this is a dramatic drop from the more than 200 barangays affected during the same period last year, the ASF can still wreak havoc if not properly contained. Underreporting has also posed a problem, with farmers reluctant to report infected pigs due to the losses they would incur.

The cases detected in the lechon stalls of La Loma come at the worst time, as the peak consumption season approaches. Beyond disinfection, a greater challenge is regaining consumer appetite for the La Loma lechon.