African swine fever outbreak hits Kradd
An outbreak of African swine fever, a disease that attacks pigs, has hit some parts of Chitipa in Karonga Agricultural Development Division (Kradd).
Kradd programme manager Wellington Phewa confirmed the outbreak in an interview on Tuesday.
He said: “There is indeed African swine fever in Chitipa District which started some weeks ago, and it has affected Lufita Extension Planning Area (EPA) under Nachitipa dipping area in Traditional Authority Mwaulambia.
“Currently, 355 pigs have died in the area and we have restricted pig movement within and from the district.”
Phewa added that his office has already notified Karonga district commissioner (DC) Rosemary Moyo about the situation and that sensitisation will follow.
Meanwhile, the District Agriculture Development Office (Dado) in Karonga has advised people in the district to avoid importing pigs or pork from Chitipa to prevent the spread of the disease.
Karonga district animal health and livestock development officer Harvey Kumwenda said this during the distribution of drug revolving fund kits and bicycles to community animal health workers by Developing Innovative Solution with Communities to Overcome Vulnerability through Enhanced Resilience (Discover) on Friday.
“In order to avoid the spread of the disease to Karonga, we ask all livestock farmers and butchers to be on the look-out by controlling movement of pigs from downwards. Otherwise, the disease is very dangerous to livestock as it has no vaccine,” he said. n
