September 3, 2007

 

Blue-ear disease strikes South Africa's pork sector

 

 

South Africa is culling more than 5,000 pigs from small farms near the Western Cape regions of Caledon, Worcester and Malmesbury during the next few weeks in an effort to curb blue-ear disease.

 

This is the third time the outbreak has occurred in the country, after an absence of two years. The area of the outbreak was the same as that from two years ago.

 

However, the Cape Pork Producers Association assured the public that the disease is not transmissible to humans and no pork from infected pigs would be reaching the market.

 

The provincial Department of Agriculture said an outbreak was first detected at a farm in Klapmuts two weeks ago.

 

The veterinary services unit had been monitoring the situation, said an Agriculture ministry spokesperson, Alie van Jaarsveld.

 

Van Jaarsveld said pigs on some 13 farms were being tested for the disease, and results were expected soon.

 

Mike Heramb, chairperson of the Cape Pork Producers Association, said the culling of the pigs, would hopefully start by the end of next week.

 

Large commercial pig farms were less susceptible to outbreaks as they purchased animals that were tested regularly for disease.

 

All the affected farms in the region's smaller farms were linked as they bought and sold pigs to each other, causing the disease to spread wider.

 

However, the country had already implemented a permit system two years ago, after a similar outbreak. This means authorities would have an easier time tracking down infected pigs. 

 

Heramb said vaccinating the pigs would be very expensive and that most farmers would not be able to afford the vaccines.