The Ashanti Regional Veterinary Service has temporarily banned the movement of pigs in the region. This follows the outbreak of swine fever in the region.
According to the Regional Veterinary Officer, Dr. Emmanuel Edward Effah, a directive has been given to veterinary staff in the affected districts to stop issuing permits for the movements of pigs.
He warned that farmers who flout the ban will be severely dealt with.
“…Because there is a ban on movements, our staff will not issue permits for pig movement. If you move without the permit, the police will arrest you.”
The swine fever has been identified in three districts of the Ashanti Region and in some parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Even though the Ghana Health Service has recorded some isolated cases, it says it has contained the situation.
The Head of Public Health at the Veterinary Services, Dr. Bashiru Boi Kikimoto, earlier told Citi News that
public health interventions are being made to ensure the disease doesn’t spread from one farm to the other.
He said among other things that all the pigs on farms which have been affected by swine fever would have to be killed and their meat destroyed to forestall a possible spread of the disease.
The symptoms of swine fever are a loss of appetite and a high temperature in pigs.
The affected animals may also have red or purple areas of discolouration on the skin.
The disease can be transmitted directly from animal to animal, by contact with infected pigs or pig slurry and through feeding pigs waste food containing infected meat.
It can also be spread by transporting pigs in vehicles which have carried infected animals, and which have not been properly disinfected afterwards.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
