KEY POINTS
• Prof. Eustace Iyayi calls for an emergency response to the African Swine Fever outbreak in Ogun.
• He says authorities should prioritise surveillance, containment, movement control and protection of unaffected farms.
• Iyayi recommends farm by farm epidemiological investigations and stronger biosecurity measures.
• He says the outbreak highlights wider disease risks in high density pig production areas.
MAIN STORY
Prof. Eustace Iyayi, Special Assistant to the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has called for an emergency animal health response to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in Ogun.
Iyayi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, saying the outbreak required rapid and coordinated action rather than being treated as an issue affecting individual farmers.
He said the immediate response should establish and map confirmed cases, contain transmission, protect unaffected farms, maintain communication with farmers and provide an appropriate mechanism for recovery.
According to Iyayi, available reports indicate that farms around the Ikangba and Agoro axis have been affected. He said authorities should therefore conduct farm by farm epidemiological investigations instead of relying only on reports of pig deaths.
“Ogun outbreak should be viewed as both an emergency and a warning. The immediate objective must be to stop transmission and protect unaffected farms.
“But the longer-term objective should be to transform the way Nigeria manages diseases in intensive livestock clusters.
“The experience of Oke-Aro, Gudugba and the current Ikangba/Agoro episode shows that high-density pig production, communal facilities, animal movement and weak farm-to-farm biosecurity can create conditions in which ASF spreads rapidly.
“The appropriate response is therefore not only culling or disinfection after an outbreak; it is a complete disease-risk management system built around surveillance, biosecurity, movement control, diagnostics, farmer reporting, compensation and recovery finance,” he said.
Iyayi recommended that the containment effort adopt a “One Health/animal-health emergency approach”, with veterinary authorities taking the lead and coordinating with the Ogun Government and Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
He called for immediate surveillance by a rapid response veterinary team to monitor affected and neighbouring farms, investigate unusual pig deaths and collect appropriate samples for laboratory testing.
He also recommended temporary restrictions on the movement of live pigs from affected premises and into affected clusters, as well as restrictions on the movement of carcasses, contaminated equipment and vehicles between infected and unaffected farms.
Iyayi singled out Oke-Aro and other high density pig settlements for particular attention because of the transmission risk created by the concentration of farms.
He said veterinary epidemiologists should determine the boundaries of an infected zone, protection zone and surveillance zone based on the characteristics of the outbreak rather than applying a fixed distance in every case.
Where ASF is confirmed and epidemiologically justified, he said humane culling or stamping out could involve the destruction of infected and appropriately identified exposed animals in line with approved control protocols.
He also stressed the need for safe disposal of carcasses, warning that improperly disposed carcasses could become major sources of infection.
The expert further called for tighter controls at communal slaughter facilities, citing lessons from the Gudugba outbreak investigation, which he said identified a communal slaughter facility as a possible transmission pathway.
“Communal slaughter facilities in affected clusters should therefore be placed under strict veterinary supervision, with temporary suspension where necessary,” Iyayi said.
THE ISSUES
- Iyayi said the immediate concern is containing transmission and protecting farms that have not been affected. He recommended surveillance, case mapping, laboratory testing and movement restrictions as part of the emergency response.
- The structure of pig production in densely populated farming clusters is another concern raised by the expert. He linked high farm density, animal movement, communal facilities and weak farm to farm biosecurity with conditions that can allow ASF to spread rapidly.
- Movement controls would need to extend beyond live pigs. Iyayi recommended restrictions covering carcasses, contaminated equipment and vehicles moving between infected and unaffected farms.
- The management of communal slaughter facilities is also part of the proposed response. Iyayi said the Gudugba investigation identified such a facility as a possible route of transmission and called for strict veterinary supervision.
- Previous outbreaks have resulted in substantial mortality and financial losses. A study of 62 farms involving 6,208 pigs in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos during the 2019 to 2021 outbreak recorded a 60.6 per cent mortality rate and estimated financial losses from pig mortality at N166.26 million.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Ogun outbreak should be viewed as both an emergency and a warning. The immediate objective must be to stop transmission and protect unaffected farms.” – Prof. Eustace Iyayi, Special Assistant to the Minister of Livestock Development
“The appropriate response is therefore not only culling or disinfection after an outbreak; it is a complete disease-risk management system built around surveillance, biosecurity, movement control, diagnostics, farmer reporting, compensation and recovery finance,” – Prof. Eustace Iyayi, Special Assistant to the Minister of Livestock Development
“Communal slaughter facilities in affected clusters should therefore be placed under strict veterinary supervision, with temporary suspension where necessary,” – Prof. Eustace Iyayi, Special Assistant to the Minister of Livestock Development
WHAT’S NEXT
Iyayi called for rapid disease surveillance, farm by farm investigations, laboratory testing and movement controls around affected areas.
He also recommended establishing infected, protection and surveillance zones based on veterinary epidemiological findings and strengthening supervision of communal slaughter facilities.
BOTTOM LINE
Iyayi says the Ogun ASF outbreak requires coordinated emergency action to contain transmission and protect unaffected farms. He also called for stronger disease risk management across Nigeria’s intensive livestock clusters.
