According to The Post, Zambia's National Farmers Union confirmed that a total of three farms have so far been affected by the disease which was first reported in Chikupi area of Kafue.

Veterinary officials have since appealed to all the pig-rearing farmers to seriously follow the bio-security measures to prevent the disease from spreading to other areas in the district. This is the second time an outbreak of the contagious African swine fever has been detected in Lusaka Province.

An outbreak late last year killed more than 3,000 pigs, prompting the government to put in place measures to contain the disease.

Agriculture minister Wylbur Simuusa recently said the government was ready to combat the outbreak.

“We are ready. We already demonstrated that, remember there was an outbreak in Lusaka and Southern Province and we contained it although it resulted in the slaughter of pigs. We have since compensated all the affected farmers,” he said in an interview.

“Right now, we are managing the outbreak in Southern Province. So we have enough experience with this African swine fever.”

Minister Simuusa urged farmers to play their part in keeping African swine fever out of the country.

African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that could kill 95 to 100 per cent of affected pigs. In Zambia, the first outbreak was reported in 1994.