BY HENRY IBYA, MAKURDI
The National Veterinary Institute Vom, Plateau State has confirmed the outbreak of swine fever in Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas of Benue State.
Information available to AljazirahNigeria in Makurdi, Thursday indicates that the National Veterinary Institute carried out the investigation in conjunction with the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi to discover the viral infection which is known as African swine fever in pig’s within the areas.
AljazirahNigeria investigation further revealed that though human beings do not contact the disease, the infection at the moment which is said to have no cure could spread to different farms through movement of people from one farm to another through clothes, and equipment.
In a telephone interview with a staff of the Ministry of Agriculture Makurdi, in the livestock department who pleaded anonymity advised farmers to stop buying animals anyhow.
He said owners of large farms should equally not allow people come into their farms anyhow because they may not know where such strangers might have being to as well as not to allow vehicles anyhow into their farms.
According to him, in order to avoid being victims because if such victims were coming from infected farms they will likely spread infection to other farms and advised owners of farms to be vigilant.
Symptoms to watch he said include high fever, reluctance of the pigs to stand, vomiting, red and blue colour particularly near the ear and death of the affected animals within 10 days.