26 July 2023
By: Fredalette Uys
No cases of African swine fever have been reported in commercial pig herds in the Eastern Cape.
A statement by the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Land Reform says there have been four outbreaks of African swine fever in the province: two in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro and one each in the district municipalities of Mnguma (Butterworth) and Makana (Makhanda/Grahamstown).
Zoleka Ntondini, manager of animal health in the Eastern Cape, said the cases occurred in free-roaming pigs and in communal areas. No cases have been detected in commercial pig herds.
Although there is no concern yet about possible transmission to commercial herds, pig farmers are urged to remain vigilant and to strengthen biosecurity measures.
African swine fever is not a zoonotic disease, meaning it is not transferable to humans. However, people are advised not to consume meat from pigs that have died due to disease or an unknown cause.
Farmers who keep pigs can still slaughter their animals for human consumption.
The disease first broke out in the Eastern Cape in 2020. It is caused by a virus, and no treatment or vaccine is available in South Africa. Pigs that contract the virus are likely to become sick and die from it.
Farmers are advised to implement biosecurity measures in pigsties. African swine fever is highly contagious and spreads rapidly through contact from one pig to the next.
According to the latest report on African swine fever from the National Directorate of Animal Health, outbreaks have been reported in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and the Western Cape. The outbreaks in KwaZulu-Natal have been brought under control.
The report says genotype 1 and genotype 2 are involved in the outbreaks in the Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and North West. The outbreaks in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape are caused by genotype 2.
