Shire Valley ADD manages to control Swine fever outbreak
The Shire Valley Agricultural Development Division (ADD) says it has managed to control the Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Diseases that attacked pigs and cattle in the area early this year.
According to Shire Valley ADD, 721 pigs and 97 heads of cattle died during the outbreaks while 22000 cattle were at risk of being attacked by the foot and mouth disease.
Speaking in a an interview over the weekend, Shire Valley ADD programmes manager Jerome Nkhoma said the last reported case of Swine Fever was on 6 February 2016 while Foot and Mouth disease on 26th January this year.
Nkhoma was however, quick to point out that his office was preparing a report to be sent to the ministry of agriculture, irrigation and water development who are to decide on uplifting the ban on the movement and slaughtering of cattle and pigs and the selling of beef and pork.
“We have been conducting vaccination exercises to boost the immunity of the animals and this plus the restriction measures that were put in place have helped to control the outbreaks,” he said.
The programme manager added that government had also intensified sensitisation meetings in non affected areas.
The Swine Fever outbreak is said to have originated from neighbouring Mozambique and was first reported around Chief Ndamera’s area before spreading to other areas like Chief Chimombo.
Shire Valley ADD is continuously at high risk of foot and mouth disease due to the presence of the virus in the local buffalo population within the Lengwe National Park.
