Johannesburg - It turns out humans are not the only ones required to maintain social distancing. The animal world is also suffering from a contagious disease that now requires pigs to social distance.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has reported on the deadly African swine fever that leads to the deaths of pigs.
According to the department, since the disease was first reported in the Eastern Cape, they have been doing epidemiological investigations into the deaths.
The ministry announced the outbreak last month saying it was the first time it was detected in the Eastern Cape. Africa swine fever kills almost all infected pigs and has no treatment and no vaccine.
Symptoms include bleeding on the skin and difficulty breathing and animals get infected through contact with pigs that have been infected already, soft ticks and contact with people, and eating contaminated food waste, feed and rubbish. The disease does not affect humans.
Of the 22 villages visited, 16 have reported the pig deaths.
“Samples have been sent to the laboratory and thus far, two villages have tested positive,” said department spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo.
He said a separate outbreak was reported in the Free State following the death of 38 out of 70 pigs on one farm. So far this year, there have been three outbreaks of the disease.