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Pig movement banned

by Staff Reporter
25 Aug 2016 at 10:41hrs | Views
Movement of pigs and pig products in six communal areas in Mount Darwin district have been banned by government due to an outbreak of African swine fever.

The affected areas are Mukumbura, Chiganyo, Kamutsenzere, Chiswiti, Kaitano and Pachanza.

According to Financial Gazette, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Paddy Zhanda said the disease is under control but the "ban will remain effective until we are satisfied that the swine fever has been eradicated."

The disease broke out in the district last year and has been confined to free roaming pigs in these communal areas.

Usually the swine fever virus is transmitted to domestic pigs by soft ticks from wild pigs which are the reservoirs of infection and through contact with infected animals and other sources such as meat.

Swine fever, otherwise known as hog cholera or classical swine fever, is a specific viral disease that affects pigs. It affects no other animal species.

Source - Financial Gazette