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100 pigs die as swine fever hits Masaka again
Last year, African Swine Fever was reported in the districts of Otuke, Masaka, Luweero and Kitgum and more than 1,000 pigs died in six months. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Last year, Mr Bright Rwamirama, the State minister for Animal Industry, said scientists had made a headway in inventing a vaccine for swine fever and it is expected to be on the market in a few years.
Piggery farmers in Masaka District are counting losses after African Swine Fever struck the area again.
The African swine fever is a contagious disease that spreads rapidly among pigs and it last hit Masaka last June .
Sr Francise Namukwaya of Kitovu Convent in Masaka Diocese said they have so far lost 30 of 35 pigs in two weeks.
“We started the piggery project during the first lockdown due to the fact that a pig sty can easily be erected on a small piece of land and they can multiply very fast ,” she said during an interview on Monday.
Sr Namukwaya said some pigs were provided through the National Agriculture Advisory Services .
“Considering what we have lost, we are going to delay all our plans to expand the project ,” she said.
For an indigenous pig breed, the least one can earn is Shs120,000 while a cross breed costs Shs300,000.
Ms Annet Ssali, a farmer, said they get to know that their pigs are infected with swine fever after the disease has already wiped out a big number of them. “One gets to know that the pig is infected when it has changed its colour and lost appetite . At this stage, it is usually difficult to save the animal,” she said.
Dr Kirumira Mukasa, the Masaka District veterinary officer, confirmed that more than 100 pigs have so far died of ASF, but the area is not yet under quarantine. He advised farmers to ensure that all visitors disinfect.
“Unlike many of the other animal diseases that have vaccines, swine fever has no cure and no vaccine. We have always advised the farmers to slaughter and bury the dead animals because the disease has the ability to quickly spread and wipe out all the pigs on a single farm, but a few are adhering to these guidelines,” he added.
Last year, Mr Bright Rwamirama, the State minister for Animal Industry, said scientists had made a headway in inventing a vaccine for swine fever and it is expected to be on the market in a few years.
According to a study published in the Journal of Veterinary Medicine in 2013, ASF is ranked as the most dangerous disease of pigs that mostly occurs during the dry season as a result of movements due to trade and restocking.
Background
Last year, African Swine Fever was reported in the districts of Otuke, Masaka, Luweero and Kitgum and more than 1,000 pigs died in six months.
In 2017, swine fever broke out in Masaka, killing more than 300 pigs at a farm in Mwalo Village, Kimaanya/Kyabakuza Division.
In 2015, pig farmers also suffered an outbreak of swine fever, in Kabonera Sub-county and areas such as Kabonera ‘B’, Kiziba, Kasanje and Kyamuyimbwa and parts of Rakai District.
