Sale of diseased pork blamed for African swine fever spread in Romblon

When one of Bayan Patroller Semy Regala Ayate's piglets got sick, she initially thought it was an ordinary fever. 

That all changed, however, when all 12 piglets, including the mother sow, died one by one. "Akala ko normal lang na sakit. Nagsuka na may plema tapos nagtae po," she said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. 

According to Dr. Paul Medina Minano, Romblon's provincial veterinarian, the first African swine fever cases were first detected in Canjalon village in San Fernando town. 

He said pork brought in from Luzon, particularly Pampanga, could have been brought in, starting the outbreak. 

He said the fever quickly spread after some hog raisers did not report the deaths of their hogs but simply sold the meat. 

"Kinatay, ang iba po ay binenta nila sa karatig barahgay kaya po nagkalat. hindi nila sinabi sa barangay na ito ay may sakit at binenta nila sa mga bukid-bukid...Mura nga, hindi nila alam na may sakit pala," he said in a separate interview. 

The local government of San Fernando has declared a state of calamity after unofficial reports said nearly 400 pigs have died of ASF in the town. 

Minano said the virus has also reached the town of Cajidiocan, which is now under surveillance.