Nueva Ecija reels from ‘swine flu’

By JOJO DE GUZMAN

PALAYAN CITY — After severely devastating the hog industry in nearby Bulacan and Pampanga provinces last July, the swine flu epidemic has crept in to Nueva Ecija and exacted a heavy toll, though veterinary authorities claim the situation is "under control."

Gov. Aurelio "Oyie" Umali reiterated earlier measures he had ordered instituted to protect commercial and backyard hog-raisers against the dreaded viral disease.

As of last Monday the affected and casualty list are as follows: San Leonardo suffered 368 casualties, with 2,696 affected, in five of its barangays. Peñaranda listed a casualty of 230; 2,680 affected in eight of its barangays. Aliaga reported 17 deaths, with only 38 affected. Barangay Manggahan in San Isidro town reported 48 affected. Gapan city reported 224 affected by the swine flu in four of its barangays.

Umali has allayed the fears that the spreading disease is hog cholera, saying that the symptoms received by veterinary and animal industry authorities showed symptoms similar to cholera but it was more like swine flu.

Swine flu is more contagious than mere pseudo rabies and may spread to other hogs and even to humans.

Umali has directed provincial veterinary officer Dr. Jennilyn Averilla to effect a strict quarantining of the affected swine population against the devastating effects of what at present remains to be a mysterious disease afflicting the hogs here.

Umali also ordered a massive inoculation of the swine population throughout the province to avert a possible outbreak of the dreaded disease, even as he aired an appeal to hog-raisers province-wide to impose a strict clean surroundings in their pens.

Dr. Feliseo Padolina, of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported on Tuesday that they have formed a task force composed of livestock inspectors and veterinarians to monitor the disease.

The hog infestation here was first detected in the last week of August just when the twin tropical storms Chedeng and Dodong made their entries in the province. The disease is said to be prevalent during the rainy months.

Ed Rillon, provincial information officer, said that all the concerned authorities have been alerted about the onset of the dreaded disease.

Rillon pointed out that the total swine population in Nueva Ecija consists of 163,870 raised by backyard raisers, while 47,780 come from commercial growers, or a total of 211,650.

Padolina reported that there have seen a few instances where sows on the last stage of pregnancies have aborted.

According to the PVO, the hogs affected by the still undetermined disease showed symptoms of lack of appetite, high fever of 41 to 42 degrees centigrade.

If promptly treated with the proper care, the afflicted animals recover from four to six days. But on the worst-case scenario, the more seriously ill get worse when injected with antibiotics.