An outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been reported in Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of pigs within the municipality.
The communities impacted by this outbreak include Canteen, Attributu, Boroto, and Sori Number One, among others.
In an effort to contain the disease, some farmers have begun to cull and bury infected pigs, as well as properly dispose of those that have already succumbed to the illness.
Although pork is a favored delicacy both locally and globally, this outbreak has severely affected pig farmers, many of whom are still recovering from a previous outbreak that occurred in 2023.
Farmers affected by the situation shared their concerns, expressing the detrimental effects of these recurring outbreaks on their livelihoods.
“In the last outbreak, I lost around thirty fully grown pigs. To make matters worse, all my newly born piglets, totaling about forty, also perished. Now, I am at a loss for how to prevent this from happening again, as the four pigs I recently purchased all died just last week,” lamented Amatus Azuri.
Another farmer, Agnes Beyuo, mentioned that she is contemplating leaving the pig farming business entirely.
“Business is fundamentally about profit, and while losses are sometimes unavoidable if this disease continues to plague us without any respite, I may take a five-year hiatus to observe the industry before making any further decisions,” she stated.
Dr. Enouch Sarkodie-Addo, the West Gonja Municipal Director of Veterinary Services, confirmed that the outbreak is indeed due to African Swine Fever.
He urged pig farmers to implement biosecurity measures and transition to intensive farming practices instead of the semi-intensive methods commonly used in the affected regions.
“The most effective approach is to enforce strict biosecurity and adopt intensive farming, as there are currently no vaccines available for ASF, although research is ongoing,” Dr. Sarkodie-Addo advised.
He noted that pigs affected by the disease typically show signs of erythema (skin reddening), a symptom that was not as pronounced in previous outbreaks.
A significant sign of ASF is the abrupt and unforeseen mortality of animals that appear to be healthy. The unexpected deaths of pigs that do not improve with standard treatment prompt serious alarm, he noted.
