October 18, 2024

Nigeria calls for enhanced ASF surveillance

Nigeria's federal government has announced a call for increased surveillance for African swine fever (ASF) following reports of the disease in the neighbouring Benin Republic, The Nation reported.

The heightened surveillance comes amid rising concerns regarding the potential introduction of ASF into Nigeria. Such an event could have devastating consequences for the country's swine farming industry and disrupt food supply chains. In 2020, Nigeria reported 50 confirmed outbreaks of ASF across 12 states.

These outbreaks resulted in the culling of hundreds of thousands of swine as farmers attempted to control the spread of the disease. One notable incident occurred at Oke Aro Farm in Lagos, where over 300,000 swine were killed, and more than 500,000 swine were culled. In 2021, further outbreaks of ASF were reported among a herd of 400 swine in the Izzi Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi state. The ASF virus is harmless to humans but lethal for swine, and it has now been identified in the Benin Republic.

Despite the implementation of control measures in the Borgou region of Benin Republic, the Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reported that 200 swine have died due to the disease. The statement from the ministry urged stakeholders to enhance protective measures and maintain continuous monitoring to prevent the spread of this serious disease at the state level.

The ministry also called for improved preparedness among swine producers and veterinarians. Professor Abiodun Adeloye, a former dean at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, emphasised the need for high-quality measures with proven efficacy and safety. His recommendations included strengthening partnerships with Customs at ports of entry, increasing inspections of passengers and products arriving from affected countries, and implementing risk-based restrictions on imports of pork and pork products from those countries.

In 2020, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) launched the Initiative for the Global Control of ASF in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). This initiative aims to unite governments, industry stakeholders, and experts in efforts to control the impact of this destructive swine disease.

-      The Nation