Veterinary experts have urged pig farmers to stop the free-range system and strengthen biosecurity measures following outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country.
Dr Abdulrahman Adamu, a lecturer in the Department of Animal Health and Production Technology, Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, gave the advice in an interview with reporters on Monday.
Adamu said ASF was a deadly viral disease whose mortality could reach 100 per cent in susceptible pig populations.
He said the disease affected domestic and wild pigs, including wild boars, warthogs and bushpigs.
According to him, the virus spreads through direct contact between healthy and infected pigs, contaminated clothing, footwear and farm equipment, as well as through feeding pigs with contaminated products.
He listed clinical signs as high fever, loss of appetite, depression, reddish skin and abdomen, vomiting, diarrhoea, respiratory difficulty, abortion and sudden death.
Adamu said there had been no recorded case of ASF in Yobe, stressing that the disease could not be confirmed through clinical signs alone.
“It requires post-mortem examination and laboratory confirmation,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Muhammad Mu’azu, a registered animal scientist, described ASF as a highly dangerous pig disease capable of wiping out entire farms.
Mu’azu said he recently visited a farm in Bauchi where all the affected pigs died from the disease.
He said the virus was highly resilient, had several routes of transmission and could survive for long periods in the environment and contaminated feed.
“Contaminated feed can cause it and just passing through the route one pig followed can make another contract it. It can stay long in the environment,” he said.
Mu’azu said the virus could spread more during the cold season, although weather was not the only factor influencing transmission.
He said there was currently no ASF vaccine available in Nigeria, adding that biosecurity remained the most practical control measure for farmers.
“In Nigeria the vaccine is not available. Even for rabbits and chickens, there are no vaccines, let alone pigs which are not widely farmed,” he said.
The animal scientist warned that ASF could affect food security and the economy by not only killing pigs but also disrupting the wider production system.
He advised farmers to isolate infected pigs and adopt strict biosecurity measures, while ensuring that new animals were quarantined and sourced from certified farms.
The experts also advised farmers to safely dispose of dead pigs through deep burial or incineration under veterinary guidance, and to thoroughly clean and disinfect pig pens.
