Livestock Directorate maintains surveillance on swine diseases

Santo Domingo, DR.

The Directorate General of Livestock (DIGEGA) reported that it maintained surveillance of swine diseases in the Dominican Republic and called on unorganized swine producers to formalize to prevent any illness from affecting their animals.

“Our responsibility is to help producers with sanitary programs to prevent diseases from affecting their animals. We have a constant supervision and in case of any complaint we intervene with our technicians,” said the director of DIGEGA, Dr. Geovanny Molina.

Through the DIGEGA Communications Office, Molina urged the population to consume pork and pork products because they do not represent any danger to humans.

Given the information circulating in social networks about the death of pigs in Montecristi, the director of Animal Health of the DIGEGA of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rafael Bienvenido Núñez, explained that, out of a population of 132 fattening pigs, there was a mortality of 60 pigs last June 18. When they received the notification on the 24th of the same month, they immediately intervened.

The cases were registered in the municipality of Manzanillo, in the Gozuela section, Palmarito neighborhood, in the province of Montecristi.

“The presumptive diagnosis is swine pneumonia. Taking into account that these pigs were bought in technified farms, where they have vaccination programs against viruses and other diseases. These pigs were moved to backyard areas on the border, where the physical and feeding conditions produce sanitary challenges,” said the official.

He reiterated that it is a sanitary eventuality that occurs permanently in backyard pigs because they do not have adequate sanitary and feeding conditions.

“Since it was notified, our technicians have been intervening in the place. We have the necessary medicines to combat this situation and it is already under control,” said Núñez.

He explained that backyard pigs do not represent a risk when they are managed under normal production conditions, and pigs from technical farms can be consumed with sanitary and safety guarantees since they have sanitary programs designed for this sector.

Results of the report

The report made by DIGEGA technicians indicates that the facilities where the pigs were affected do not have any biosecurity measures, footbaths, visitor registration, or separation of areas.

In addition, the report indicates that the producer does not have a quarantine station for new animals entering the project. There is also no area for separating animals showing signs and symptoms of disease.

In addition, the facilities do not have access control.

Recommendations

The Animal Health Directorate recommended that swine producers separate animals showing signs and symptoms from those that do not; set aside an area within the facilities for sick animals; adapt a space for new animals as a quarantine area; reinforce biosecurity by installing disinfection stations before entering the project as well as footbaths, among other things.