Authorities are investigating a possible link between hogs from Negros Oriental and the first confirmed African swine fever (ASF) cases in Ginatilan, Cebu, as veterinary officials expand surveillance and tighten restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading.
Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office head Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy said three of four samples collected from backyard pigs in Ginatilan tested positive for ASF DNA. The affected pigs were in Barangays Cagsing and Calabawan, where quarantine and movement restrictions have been imposed.
The possible connection to Negros Oriental remains unconfirmed. Investigators are looking into reports that some affected pigs had contact with hogs from Negros Oriental, while some owners had attended a fiesta in Tanjay City and brought cooked pork home. Officials stressed that these circumstances have not been established as the source of the infection.
The cases were uncovered through disease tracing after reports of pig deaths in neighboring Malabuyoc. The veterinary office collected five samples—four from Ginatilan and one from Malabuyoc. While three Ginatilan samples tested positive, the Malabuyoc sample was negative.
Authorities are now expanding surveillance across all 14 barangays of Ginatilan. Additional samples collected from households in the two affected barangays have tested negative so far, but officials said monitoring will continue as they work to determine whether the virus has spread beyond the initial areas.
Six checkpoints have been established around Ginatilan, including highway and upland access routes, to monitor the movement of pigs, pork and related products. The municipality has also prohibited the entry of live swine, pork and pork products from Negros Oriental through its land and sea entry points.
The restrictions come amid continued concern over the movement of hogs from Negros into Cebu despite the province-wide ban. Authorities have previously intercepted shipments, including 42 hogs at Tangil Wharf in Dumanjug and 104 live hogs seized in Badian in August. A separate truck carrying 60 live hogs without required veterinary and quarantine documents was also intercepted in Moalboal.
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order 44 on August 20, extending the province-wide prohibition on live hogs and pork products from Negros Island and other ASF-affected areas. The order covers live pigs, fresh, chilled or frozen pork, processed pork products and other pork-derived products, while directing stricter inspections at ports and other entry points.
The investigation comes as Cebu works to protect its hog industry from a highly contagious animal disease that can spread through infected animals, contaminated materials and pork products. Veterinary officials have warned that improper slaughtering and handling of infected blood and tissues could further contaminate the environment, particularly during rainy conditions.
The province has collected 2,101 ASF samples from about 2,000 households as part of its wider surveillance program. Officials are urging hog raisers and residents to report unusual pig deaths immediately instead of slaughtering or disposing of sick animals themselves.
For now, the suspected Negros connection remains only one line of investigation. Authorities are continuing disease tracing and back-tracing activities to identify the index case and determine how ASF reached Ginatilan, while containment efforts focus on preventing the virus from reaching other barangays and municipalities.
