(Eagle News) – Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte said that at least 11 dead pigs found in Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City had tested positive for African Swine Fever.
This came about as Belmonte revealed that her office had received more reports of dead pigs found in Barangay Payatas, but clarified that their laboratory test results had not yet been released by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)
The Quezon City mayor said that the tests for ASF on the 11 dead pigs in Bgy. Bagong Silangan came from the City’s veterinary department.
It was not however clear if these pigs sent for testing were the dead pigs that were recently found in a creek in the same barangay.
Belmonte, however, assured the public that the ASF virus has no effect on human, although it is highly contagious among domestic and wild pigs.
She said that inspectors are also doing the rounds of public markets in Quezon City to make sure that the pork meat sold there had passed quality inspection.
There are at least nine barangays in Quezon City which reportedly have backyard piggeries. Barangays Bagong Silangan and Payatas also have more than 1,000 piggeries each.
Belmonte had already ordered the closure of backyard piggeries last month, saying this was illegal based on a zoning ordinance.
