Ugandan Pigs Suffering from African Swine Fever Outbreaks

UGANDA - A number of pigs have reportedly died from an outbreak of African Swine Fever that is spreading in the Masaka district of Uganda.
calendar icon 23 July 2015
clock icon 3 minute read

Dozens of pig farmers are counting their losses following the outbreak of the contagious viral infection, reported the Daily Monitor.

The disease is passed to animals through a vicious cycle between soft ticks, wild pigs and direct contact with infected pigs.

Mr Lawrence Mayanja, the Kabonera Sub-county veterinary officer, confirmed the outbreak on Tuesday, saying a number of animals in the area have so far died and the disease is still spreading.

He revealed that the outbreak has been confirmed in the parishes of Kabonera 'B', Kiziba, Kasanje and Kyamuyimbwa and parts of Rakai District. Mr Mayanja told the Daily Monitor that the infection has persistently spread due to farmers' reluctance to adhere to preventive precautions put in place.

"Despite the quarantine that bars pig movement in the area, dealers still sneak into the affected areas and smuggle the infected animals to other places of the district," he said.

Mr Mayanja revealed that members of the Masaka District Pig Farmers' Platform have also sought the intervention of the International Livestock Research Institute to devise a way of curbing the problem.

He urged residents to avoid buying pork from selling points that they are not sure of.

Local farmers are advised to manage the disease through confining their herds, restricting their movements, burying carcasses of the infected pigs, and carrying out preliminary disinfection by spraying the premises.

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.