Pig farmers in Mzansi feared the worst with the recent confirmation of a new outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) on a farm in Gauteng. An expert breaks down all farmers need to know to keep their pigs safe.
In many countries, pig farming is the main source of income for households. Family-run pig farms, which were frequently the backbone of people’s livelihoods and a catalyst for upward mobility, have been decimated by the spread of ASF around the world.
Dr Thandi Chiappero of the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation’s (Sappo) consumer assurance unit tells us more about the disease and what farmers need to know.
What is ASF?
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease in pigs. It is spread mainly through direct contact between pigs, or through bits of infected tissue or waste that is spread by humans or other animals.
“It can also spread in improperly cooked pork products fed to pigs such as kitchen waste (swill) obtained from restaurants and fed to pigs. ASF has high mortality rates often resulting in the death of the entire pig farm. This results in huge economic losses for affected farmers,” says Chiappero.
Fortunately, humans cannot be affected by the disease, she adds, however, pigs and wild pig species are the most vulnerable to ASF.
How does the disease spread?
Even though humans cannot be affected by ASF, we do play a role in spreading the disease. Farmers specifically play a role by selling sick pigs that have been in contact with ASF.
Additionally, when farmers do inspections on neighbouring farms and discover that the pigs are infected by ASF, it is important to remove clothing including shoes. The disease is very high risk and it is important to be squeaky clean.
Chiappero further notes that it is irresponsible for farmers to allow their pigs to roam around freely. Pigs can pick up the disease from anywhere and it makes it difficult to track the source when it is unknown.
“Movement and sale of any sick pigs, or pigs that have been in contact with sick pigs are irresponsible. Inspecting your neighbour’s sick pigs and then taking that same clothing or those same shoes onto your own pig farm is a very high risk. Buying pig feed from an unverified source is irresponsible and allowing pigs to roam free in general is irresponsible,” explains Chiappero.
Disposal of infected carcasses
Chiappero, says, “The biggest environmental challenge is the disposal of pig carcasses in the case of an outbreak. This should only be done with approval from the department of environmental affairs in the case of a large number of carcasses. Safe disposal of any carcasses is important to reduce the risk of spread and to reduce the risk of contamination of ground or water. The virus can persist in carcasses for months.”
Although African warthogs harbour the disease, at times pigs show little to no symptoms and their involvement is not needed for widespread outbreaks.
Signs of ASF farmers need to look out for
Farmers need to be vigilant and monitor their herds daily. There are some common signs to look out for, Chiappero advises.
“It is most commonly an acute disease with a sudden increase in mortalities in a herd. Fever is very common. Other symptoms include the redness of skin especially on the abdomen, and hindquarters, abortions, and haemorrhages in internal organs.”
Preventing ASF or ways to mitigate the disease
Chiappero says stopping irresponsible behaviour can help to lessen the risk of the disease.
“Because humans are often involved with the spread, they can greatly mitigate the risk if those irresponsible behaviours are stopped. The best way that an individual can protect his/her herd is through applying biosecurity measures.”
She gives the following tips:
- Keep your pigs fenced and away from other pigs.
- Control any human or animal access to the farm.
- Change or wash clothing and shoes before entering your farm.
- Do not feed swill (kitchen waste) to your pigs and do not take pork products into your farm.
- Control vehicle access to your farm.
- Keep records of all movements of pigs onto and off your farm and make sure pigs are obtained from reputable sources with the same or better biosecurity standards.
- Mark all your pigs with farm identification.
- Keep records of births, deaths and especially of abnormal mortalities.
- Dispose of any carcass responsibly to that no other animals have access to it.
- Report abnormal deaths to your state veterinary services.
ALSO READ: African Swine Fever strikes Gauteng farms
Sign up for Farmer’s Inside Track: Join our exclusive platform for new entrants into farming and agri-business, with newsletters and and podcasts.
