BAUANG, La Union, Aug. 15 (PIA) -- A total of 109 hogs were culled and properly disposed of from the three barangays of Bauang town after blood samples from select pigs tested positive of African Swine Fever (ASF) early this week.

On Friday, 84 heads were culled in Barangay Parian Oeste, 24 in Payocpoc Norte Oeste, and one in Payocpoc Sur.

Depopulation in the said areas based from the modified 1-7-10 protocol wherein pigs within the 500-meter radius from the source of virus were subjected to mandatory culling.

The Regulatory Division of the Department of Agriculture -1 and the Office of the Provincial Veterinary, in a coordination meeting on Monday with the municipal agriculture office, discussed the disease control measures after declaring the ASF infection in the town.

Sixteen hog raisers from this town are affected with the culling because of ASF.

The municipal government assured Php 5,000.00 per head as financial assistance to the affected hog raisers.

Unweaned piglets, however, are not covered by the said cash assistance.

The municipal government continuously conducts awareness campaign in the different barangays wherein all 39 barangay chairpersons were informed on what measures and actions to undertake.

"We advised them to inform hog raisers in their areas that all hogs must be slaughtered in the municipal slaughterhouse to prevent the spread of the disease," Municipal Livestock Inspector Leodivico Verzola said.

Monitoring and regular disinfection of farms not only of those within the 10-kilometer radius is also in place.

He added, "All entry and exit points of the municipality are also guarded to prevent the transport of meat and live hogs."

Meat and meat products from the three barangays are still banned while those within 500 meters to one kilometer radius are on 14-day ban.

Bauang is the seventh town in the province to be affected with ASF after Sudipen, Santo Tomas, Aringay, Agoo Pugo and San Fernando City. (JCR/JND/JDS, PIA La Union)