Published Date: 2004-08-19 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH> Porcine reproductive & resp. syndr. - S. Africa (02)
Archive Number: 20040819.2295

PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE & RESPIRATORY SYNDROME - SOUTH AFRICA (02)
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Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: All Africa, 18 Aug 2004 [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200408180018.html>

Deadly pig virus strikes
------------------------
The Western Cape department of agriculture has announced that all pigs on
farms where blue-ear disease has been diagnosed have to be destroyed.
Farmers affected by the slaughter will get compensation.
The measure is being taken to prevent further spreading of the disease.
Tests indicate the presence of porcine reproductive and respiratory
syndrome [PRRS], the official name of blue-ear disease, on 16 farms in the
Western Cape to date.
"The farmers will get good compensations for their losses," provincial
agriculture minister Cobus Dowry said yesterday after a meeting with
farmers at Elsenburg. "They will be offered R2100 [USD 318] for a pig with
young, R1400 [USD 212] for a female, and R1000 [USD 151] for a male. It's
more than farmers normally get when they bring their animals to the abattoir."
An estimated 3000 pigs will be slaughtered, starting today. Farmers are
happy with the compensation, but said that the government had been slow to
react. Some are afraid they will not be compensated because many of their
pigs have already died from the disease or have been slaughtered by the
farmers themselves to reduce further damage. They hope the department of
agriculture will bear this in mind.
Dowry said, however, that the state had no mandate to pay for pigs that had
already died, because it was impossible to confirm what the animals had
died from. The viral disease was first identified in South Africa in June
2004 and is suspected to have been introduced to pigs through the swill
they were fed. Blue-ear disease weakens pigs' immune resistance.
[byline: Arjan Oosterhout]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[In their initial notification of PRRS to the Office International des
Epizooties, 18 Jun 2004 (see ref), the South African authorities announced
the institution of the following control measures:
- total movement restriction;
- full quarantine measures;
- vaccination.
It seems that this was not enough to stop the spread of the disease,
initially reported from one farm, now from 16 -- thus prescribing stamping
out. For further information on PRRS, see moderator PC's commentary in the
reference below. - Mod.AS]

See Also

Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome - South Africa 20040621.1658
.................mpp/arn/pg/sh

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