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African swine fever threatens pigsties in Huíla
Economy
Luanda Tuesday, February 20, 2024 4:54 p.m.
Amélia Oliveira - ANGOP
Lubango (Angola) - The municipality of Humpata, province of Huíla, is once again ravaged by African swine fever, which has already killed 562 pigs in five days, reported Tuesday, the head of the provincial department of the Institute of Veterinary Services, José Chicomo.
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus composed of double-stranded DNA, belonging to the Asfarviridae family. The disease does not affect humans, it is exclusive to domestic and wild pigs, and the municipality is affected for the second time in less than four years.
Speaking to ANGOP, José Chicomo informed that, so far, only one farm has been quarantined, where the animals were slaughtered to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
According to him, the animals started showing symptoms of plague at the beginning of this month and on the eighth day, the Veterinary Services collected biological samples for analysis in the local laboratory and others sent to Namibia, where the disease was confirmed by the PCR test.
The farm affected by the disease is under control, but samples continue to be taken from other farms as a precaution and regional security measure, he said.
He said that the affected farm is already controlled, but in the municipality as such there is no guarantee, because more samples need to be taken from other farms and determined whether they are also affected .
Although the disease does not affect humans, he warned that meat from the diseased animal should not be consumed, as it could spread the disease. The Veterinary Services have therefore developed a communication strategy prohibiting the consumption and movement of pigs (entry or exit) from Humpata for a period of 90 days.
The last outbreak of disease, in this municipality that stands out for pig farming, took place in April and May 2019, with more than 1,200 animals decimated at the time, most of them by entrepreneurs who received funds for work on promotion.
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