THE Government has banned the movement of pigs and pig products into and out of Chaminuka area of Chongwe District following the detection of the African Swine Fever (ASF), claiming 13 pigs as of yesterday.
Livestock and Fisheries Minister Makozo Chikote said 583 pigs at the affected facility, which had an initial population of 596 pigs, were targeted to be slaughtered and burnt to prevent the spread of ASF and that there would be no compensation.
Mr Chikote said at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that monitoring and surveillance in Chaminuka and adjacent areas of Chibombo and Chisamba districts to ascertain the presence and extent of the disease was another one of the immediate measures that was being instituted.
“I would like to inform the nation that there is an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Chaminuka area of Chongwe District. The disease was confirmed on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at the Central Veterinary Research Institute.
“”The outbreak has been recorded at one facility which had an initial pig population of 596 between 12 and 16 of September, 2023, a total of 13 pigs have died,” Mr Chikote said.
The minister said the other immediate intervention measure was setting up of bio-security checkpoints on roads leading into and out of Chaminuka area.
He said registration of all pig farms around Chaminuka and ascertaining their compliance to implementing biosecurity measures was another action that was being taken.
“African Swine Fever is a deadly viral disease which affects both domestic and wild pigs. It has no effective vaccine to prevent the disease or medicine to cure it. The most effective strategy is to implement a good bio- security regime,” he said.
He said ASF spread through fomites like clothes or cars that had contact with diseased pigs or pork from diseased pigs.
Mr Chikote urged farmers to ensure that they protected their farms by enhancing bio-security measures at their premises.
“They should maintain effective access control to their piggeries and ensure there is a disinfectant at appropriate places on their premises,” he said.
Mr Chikote appealed to pig farmers to cooperate with the veterinary officers enforcing those measures to ensure that ASF was controlled quickly.
