Officials in Metu Sub-County, Moyo district have suspended the sale and consumption of pork following an outbreak of African swine fever in the area.
The officer in charge of animal husbandry in Metu sub-county, Denis Maku, said at least sixteen pigs have been killed by the disease over the past few days. He said the most hit parishes are Ayiro and Eremi.
Maku made this revelation during a sensitization meeting for residents on measures to contain the disease at Metu Sub-County headquarters on Wednesday.
Maku described the situation in the area as alarming and said the movement of pigs from one place to another has been stopped till further notice.
Maku urged residents to observe the quarantine measures taken so as to save lives.
Dr. Richard Akule, the Moyo district Veterinary officer, feared that there might be more cases which have not been reported due to lack of knowledge about the disease.
He advised people to confine their pigs and bury the dead ones instead of consuming them to curb further spread of the disease.
According to Akule, a pig affected by swine fever shows signs of loss of appetite, reproductive failure, abortion, diarrhea and vomiting that, if not attended to, can eventually kill the animal within a shortest period of time.
He encouraged people in the affected areas to report to the veterinary officials any cases of sicknesses so that measures can be taken in time.
Martin Edega, a resident of Aringa East Village, Eremi Parish said he lost two of his pigs to the disease within a period of three days.
Edega urged the district officials to speed up with all necessary measures so that lives of their remaining pigs can be saved.
In Moyo district, a kilogram of pork costs sh7500 which means those dealing in pork business may lose a lot during this quarantine period.
Recently, cases of swine fever outbreak were registered in Lefori, Moyo, Laropi and Dufile sub counties and it took nine months for officials to contain the disease.
Last week, the district authorities in Kabale lifted an 8month ban imposed on the sale and consumption of pork following the outbreak of African swine fever in September last year.
