Gambia News: African swine fever outbreak reported in Gambia

Aug 12,2007 00:00 by Anna

Banjul (The Gambia) The Gambian Veterinary Services have reported an outbreak of the highly contagious African swine fever sometimes called pig plague based on the German word Schweinepest) is a highly contagious disease of pigs and wild boar in the country, APA learnt here. Humans are not affected by the disease.

The department stated in a television broadcast Saturday that the outbreak occurred in three of the seven administrative regions of the country namely, Banjul city, the Kanifing Municipality and Western Region administrative regions.

These are also the main pig breeding areas in this predominantly Muslim country where pig breeders still manage a lucrative trade through pig farming.

In fact, the outbreak has local pig breeders worried and a member of the Pig breeders association spoke of the huge economic loss he suffered during the last outbreak in 2002.

“I lost more than 200 pigs to the disease in 2002,” he said.

The department has called for vigilance on the part of pig breeders advising them to report any suspected cases to the nearest veterinary outpost.

Since there is no known vaccine or cure for the disease, any infection leads to almost certain death.

During the last outbreak, the disease virtually wiped out the entire pig population in the affected areas.

According to the broadcast, the department has as usual been exchanging information on the outbreak with the veterinary services in Senegal and Guinea Bissau on a cooperative basis.