TACLOBAN CITY. Sept. 16 (PIA)-The Department of AGriculture (DA) mobilized local government units in the region to ensure that the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) virus does not affect the livestock in the region.

This was reported to the media by Regional Director Milo Delos Reyes of the Department of Agriculture 8 in a press conference on Monday, September 16.

In Northern Samar and Southern Leyte, the LGUs have volunteered 50 personnel to strictly monitor and ensure that no live hogs enter the region with questionable origin.

On September 19-20, the different LGUs committed to send their veterinarians for a focused group discussion on the ASF virus and plan to stop the ASF virus entry in Eastern Visayas.

"The threat would come from Luzon as there is no known case in Mindanao," said Delos Reyes.

In Northern Samar, particularly in Allen and San Isidro ports as gateway to the region, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) does strict monitoring.

However, the experts from the agriculture department said that the virus does not affect human beings.

"Human beings have no receptors for the virus, unlike hogs," said Delos Reyes.

The government and the public, said the agriculture official should ban importation to avoid the ASF virus, that the public should avoid feeding hogs with swill (food scraps or kaning baboy or sagmaw) as there might be some pork meat in it that has the virus.

The public is also advised to block the entry of canned pork products. The experts said that the virus can still thrive in frozen meat and processed food up to 1000 days.

Agriculture experts also asked the public to report any known situation of the ASF in their area and to submit blood samples for suspected ASF cases.

Other LGUs also banned the entry of live hogs, creating task forces to fight the ASF virus.

Delos Reyes also assured the public that ASF has not gained entry to the region.

"Walang African Swine Fever sa atin," he told the media. (nbq/PIA 8)