Pig farmers have been advised to dispose of their carcasses infected by swine fever with paraffin and lime.
According to Dr. Emma Naluyima, a veterinarian, and an animal and crop farming instructor swine fever is one of the most dangerous diseases that affects pigs.
She says that although the meat of a pig that has died of swine fever is considered safe for human consumption because the virus cannot infect humans, a carcass should be buried with paraffin and lime.
“If a farmer uses lime and paraffin while disposing of the affected animals, it will prevent people from unburying and selling it for consumption,” she says.
“Some pig farmers don’t want to lose in this business. When their pigs die of swine fever, they decide to sell the meat, but once this meat is sold in the market, it spreads the disease to all the nearby pig farms.”
She says that pigs usually become infected through direct contact with infected animals, or indirectly through vehicles, equipment or clothing contaminated with faeces, blood and other fluids from infected pigs.
She says there is no treatment or vaccine available once your pigs are affected by this disease.
Dr. Naluyima said this during the piggery management, breeding and value addition training at the recently concluded Harvest Money Expo which took place on February 14-16 at Mandela National Stadium. The expo was organized by Vision Group.
