Pig farmers in the Southern Cape have been issued a quarantine notice by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services following the detection of the African Swine Fever.
According to the Western Cape’s Agriculture MEC, Ivan Meyer, the quarantine notice urges community members and pig farmers not to remove any pigs or pig products from the area to prevent further spreading of the disease.
Meyer indicated that farmers must now practise good hygiene management practices on their farms to minimise the risk of disease introduction or spread of the disease through good biosecurity measures.
Also read: WATCH: NSPCA outraged following man ruthlessly shooting cattle in “act of revenge”
The MEC said that farmers should minimize the negative impact on trade within the region and sensitise pig farmers in other parts of the Southern Cape.
“My department will continue to monitor the situation. Our State Veterinary Services will provide the necessary advisory services to prevent the further spread of the disease,” Meyer said.
Head of Veterinary Services, Dr Gininda Msiza further mentioned that the only avenue available is to protect pigs by establishing a set of measures to reduce the risk of further spreading the disease.
“Carcasses should be disposed of safely, pigs should be confined to prevent roaming and potentially the pick-up and spread of the disease. Hands, shoes, clothing, and equipment must be sanitised before and after contact with pigs, and meat products should be thoroughly cooked before being fed to pigs,” Msiza explained.
Also read:
Three young Cape Town heroes walked for 30 minutes carrying injured pup to the SPCA
Picture: Unsplash