An outbreak of African swine fever in the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape has been recorded for the first time in three years in the province. African swine fever is a highly contagious disease deadly for infected pigs, but is not seen as a threat to humans.
“Control measures currently in place include that all infected pigs should be as far as possible from those that are not and must be housed alone to avoid contact with other pigs in the area to limit the spread of the disease,” Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Departmen (DRDLR) Minister Thoko Didiza said according to Dispatch Live.
“Farmers should therefore ensure that if any swill fed to pigs it is pre-cooked for at least an hour. This will ensure the inactivation of the ASF virus, as well as other diseases of concern,” Didiza added.
About 50 pigs have already died in the area as a result of the disease and the affected villages have been quarantined.
The DRDLR said investigations and post-mortems are underway to find further information.
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