African swine fever outbreak reported in Kyenjojo district

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An outbreak of African swine fever has been confirmed in Kyenjojo district.

According to the District Veterinary Officer, Dr Godfrey Kahuta, the movement and slaughtering of pigs in the district have been banned for the next three months to contain the disease.

Kahuta, notes that some of the most affected Sub Counties include Katooke, Butunduzi, Nyankwanzi, Kyarusozi, among others, though he does not tell the exact number of pigs that have since died.

Lillian Kabasomi, a resident of Butunduzi Sub County and dealer in piggery, says that even though an outbreak has been declared, she has not yet seen any district official telling them what to do.

She is worried that all her pigs might die because she is not yet aware of the control measures other than keeping her pigs in a pigsty.

Kyenjojo Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Isaac Kawonawo, says that he has already conducted some sensitization on radios telling farmers that the first step to prevent the spread of the disease is to ensure no movement of pigs.

Kawonawo also says that with the help of police, they have closed all the pork joints in the district for three months.

Dr Kahuta says that they are going to start a massive campaign of sensitizing all the farmers in the district to prevent their animals from getting infected because the disease has not cure with mortality or up to 80 percent.

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, and exhaustion in pigs.

The disease is a highly infectious and infected pigs must be slaughtered and their carcasses buried or incinerated.

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