Pig-less Christmas

"I feel I would love to close down for a number of years in some way and just be in the country making pork pies and chutneys and never have to poke my head out of the parapet."
--Stephen Fry

By Alex P. Vidal

IT looks like Ilonggos will celebrate the Yuletide Season next month without pork, or any product associated with the swine industry, on their table during important gatherings where food is served.
This was after both the City Hall and Capitol have officially banned the pigs positive for African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering the City and Province of Iloilo.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas issued Executive Order No. 99-A-2019 on Oct. 9, 2019, “totally bans live pigs, hog carcasses, pork and pork products and by-products originating from, and/or processed in localities in the Philippines identified by the Department of Agriculture positive for African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering the City of Iloilo for a period of 90 days and a total ban of the same from countries identified positive for ASF.”
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., on the other hand, also issued Executive Order No. 159-A enforcing a temporary ban on swine, pork, pork products and by-products from all areas in Luzon, including its island provinces for 90 days.
Although there were no major or earth-shaking reports of ASF-related damage in Iloilo's swine industry, Treñas and Defensor probably wanted to be sure the multi-billion swine industry in that part of the country is safe and protected.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, as the saying goes.

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The word "pig" is usually used to refer to immature swine, while hog is used for refer to mature swine.
Usually, however, if we only refer to one animal we would call it either a gilt (female prior to having first litter), barrow (castrated male), or a boar (uncastrated male).
Pig, hog and boar essentially describe the same animal, but there are some distinctions.
A boar is an uncastrated male domestic pig of any gender, but it also means a domestic wild pig of any gender.
A hog often means a domestic pig that weighs more than 120 lbs. (54 kilograms). Pigs are also called swine.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them.

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Too bad that the ASF panic in Iloilo and other parts of the country came just when the Christian world is about to enter the "most wonderful time of the year" where the food we prepare is always with pork.
ASF is actually caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) that infects domestic pigs, warthogs, and bushpigs. 

Transmission occurs through direct contact between healthy and sick animals, or indirect contact through infected feed, as well as through biological vectors (soft ticks).
The disease is reportedly endemic in the southern hemisphere of Africa, as well as on the Iberian Peninsula and in Sardinia.
Sporadic outbreaks have reportedly occurred in other European countries (Belgium in 1985, Netherlands in 1986) and outside of Europe (the Caribbean, Brazil).

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With around 1 billion individuals alive at any time, the domestic pig is reportedly among the most populous large mammals in the world today.
Pigs are omnivores and can reportedly consume a wide range of food.
They are biologically similar to humans and are thus frequently used also for human medical research.
The effect on a swine herd can reportedly vary depending on the strain, from near 100% mortality to cases of low-virulence isolates that can be difficult to diagnose.
When an outbreak occurs in any region or country, the financial and physical implications can be devastating to the swine industry and those related to it.
During outbreaks in Malta and the Dominican Republic, for example, the swine herds of the entire countries were completely depopulated.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)