Koronadal will soon be in the pink zone
“From the red zone, we are hopeful that we can soon move to the pink zone,” said City Veterinarian Dr. Charlemagne S. Calo in his FB live interview at “Tingog sang Pagsanyog” about the city’s current status on African Swine Fever (ASF) after nearly nine months of negative swine blood sampling results.
Dr. Calo, on the other hand, clarified that before the city can obtain the said status, the City Veterinary Office (CityVet) must first apply to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region XII and submit documents for its review and approval. The city vet has just finished gathering the records and is about to send them to the said office.
Meanwhile, considering the city’s most recent ASF position, the veterinarian continues to warn all hog raisers not to be leak-proof and remains alert. He emphasized that as long as there are domesticated swine around, the virus’s vastness remains viable. He went on to say that while the ASF vaccine is possibly available soon but it only caters to piglets and none is available for the grown-up one.
Calo further accentuated that strict biosecurity is still the most efficient approach for all hog raisers, particularly for backyard breeders so the city can achieve an ASF-free zone. Included in tightening biosecurity is the installation of a perimeter fence where a boundary is set to limit the individual’s entry coming from elsewhere. Also placement of footbaths with disinfectant and a farm net for hogs to deter the direct entry of people and also to protect against dogs, cats, birds, rats, flies, and other insects that may be an ASF carrier.
Furthermore, a simple change of clothes and slippers before entering the piggery site, as well as performing disinfection twice a week, are preventative measures. To ensure that piggeries are disinfected on a regular basis, CityVet provides free disinfectant to swine farmers and conducts regular monitoring with a grading sheet.
However, considering the city will soon be a pink zone, this means that Koronadal will become a buffer zone.