African swine fever detected in Cebu and four other cities in the region in the Philippines

African swine fever (ASF) virus has been detected in Cebu and four other cities in the region, the Department of Agriculture Animal Industry (BAI) said on Monday. BAI said that the cities of Liloan, Tuburan, Sibonga and Bogo City have also reported cases of ASF. "Sample collection was carried out on backyard farms by the respective local government units (UGLs) as part of the investigation and surveillance of the disease," the statement said. The samples were sent to the Regional Laboratory of Reference and Diagnosis of Animal Diseases (RADDL) in the region and tested using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the gold standard for testing and confirming the ASF virus. The agency said it is continuing to collect data to determine the extent of the outbreak in Cebu province. He said the zoning map and reporting detections will continue based on Administrative Circular No. 2, Series 2022 of the DA, the National Zoning and Movement Plan for the Prevention and Control of ...