The countrywide vaccination of swine erysipelas has boosted the prospects of farmers who welcomed the development, saying that it will protect against a bacterial that has so far killed hundreds of pigs.

Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) launched the first immunisation against this infectious bacterial disease in the country on Tuesday, February 9.

Peter Ngirumugenga, a pig farmer from Rwamagana District told The New Times that he sold about 400 pigs to avoid further losses stemming from the bacteria infection that could potentially hit his farm of 1,400 pigs.

Swine erysipelas – locally commonly known as ‘Ruje y’ingurube’ – is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae.

It is clinically characterised by high fever (41.1°C to 42.8°C) that can induce abortion in pregnant pigs, skin lesions, loss of appetite, difficulties in breathing and walking and death to the infected animal if not treated on time.

According to RAB, the disease mainly caused by poor hygiene on the farm.

 "I was lucky that the disease did not infect my pig farm. I used disinfectants and prevented people from entering the farm, but, I was worried that it could strike it. The disease somehow destabilised pig farming,” Ngirumugenga said, adding that he had plans to expand his piggery.

 He bought 600 doses of the vaccine for Rwf540,000 to inoculate his 300 pigs which are at least six months old.

Jean Claude Shirimpumu, the Chairperson of for the Rwanda Pig Farmers’ Association told The New Times that it also welcomed the development.

"Breeding pigs without prevention of the disease through vaccination was very risky, even when hygiene was ensured.  Our livestock was very exposed [to the disease],” he said.

The vaccine is given to pigs that are aged six months and above. The two doses are given three or four weeks apart between them, with one costing Rwf900, meaning Rwf1,800 for two doses.

Fabrice Ndayisenga, Head of Animal Resources Department at RAB told The New Times the two doses are needed for the first vaccination and offer protection for a half-year period, adding that only one injection is needed for protection of a pig in the same period subsequently.

Meanwhile, the pig stockbreeders said that there is a need to introduce more vaccines for other diseases that farms might be exposed to.

Farmers have also called for government subsidies in order to lower the cost of the vaccine and enable them to immunise many pigs.

Ndayisenga said that a vaccine is the last option in managing farms, underscoring that ensuring farm hygiene and biosecurity, as well as treating diseases with effective veterinary drugs are preferable.

He indicated that RAB is using its cold chain facilities to protect the safety of the vaccine, as well as facilitating its administration, which he considered a kind of support to the stockbreeders.

The inoculation against the disease is important to the country’s pig industry that is shifting from traditional or sustenance farming practices to commercial farms.

It adds to the inclusion of pigs in the livestock covered by the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme, which intends to cushion farmers against losses due to diseases, and disasters. 

The agency said that the current outbreak was reported on October 21 in Nzige Sector, Rwamagana District of Eastern Province.

In November 2020, RAB said that swine erysipelas had killed 379 pigs, or 0.67 per cent of 56,706 pigs in three districts namely Rwamagana, Kicukiro and Gasabo, which have been the most affected.

Before, another outbreak of the disease had hit pig farms in Gisagara District in 2019.

There are 1.38 million pigs in Rwanda, as per the statistics from RAB.

Rwanda plans  to more than double pork production from 23,000 tonnes in 2019 to 67,076 tonnes by 2022.