BUJUMBURA October 9th (ABP) – The Director General of Livestock, Mr. Serges Nkurunziza made a statement, Friday, October 07, 2022, in Gitega, on the cases of pig mortality observed in certain localities of Bururi provinces, Gitega, Muyinga and Rumonge.
Mr. Nkurunziza said that at the beginning of October, an as yet unidentified disease causing pig mortality was reported on Mirango hills in Bururi province, Kibimba in Gitega province, Kiryama in Muyinga province and Nyagasaka in province Rumonge where 18 farms recorded 116 cases of disease of which 70 died.
Mr. Nkurunziza also reported that this disease has been observed in Mibanda and Gahinda villages of Rumonge province and has already caused the death of 11 pigs. He reported that technical teams from the ministry in charge of livestock were deployed on the ground on October 3, 2022 to carry out epidemiological investigations and collect samples.
To that end, he pointed out that African swine fever, red mullet or Aujezsky’s disease had been suspected, because, he said, these animals presented various clinical signs including anorexia, hyperthermia, petechiae in the abdomen, congestion of the ocular mucous membranes and ruffled hair. He further added that some animals showed signs of motor incoordination. Death occurs, in the majority of cases, after 3 to 5 days after the manifestation of clinical signs.
Speaking about the results of the preliminary examination, Mr. Nkurunziza said that the laboratory analyzes revealed that it is not African Swine Fever, nor Red Mullet or Aujezsky’s Disease, adding that the epidemiological investigations coupled with laboratory examinations are continuing. He also revealed that the technical services of the ministry in charge of animal husbandry will carry out the urgent disinfection of the piggeries and their surroundings, starting with the farms located in the localities where the disease has appeared and in the large pig breeding centers using broad-spectrum microbiological disinfectants to prevent the rapid spread of this disease.
The symptomatic treatment of the animals in the affected piggeries is underway and will continue and the necessary drugs have been dispatched to the field, he said.
As barrier measures to fight against the rapid spread of this disease, the minister in charge of livestock farming asks pig farmers to quickly alert the nearest veterinary service agents as soon as they notice a sick animal. That ministry also asks breeders to regularly take the temperature of their animals and to immediately report any hyperthermic animal. The Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock reassures the population in general and breeders in particular and asks them to water their animals regularly, to protect them from the heat and to spray them with water during the hottest hours.
Note that until further notice, any movement, slaughter and trade in pigs in the administrative areas located within a radius of 5 km from the affected farms is prohibited.