More than a hundred pigs and other domestic animals belonging to farmers in Atuabo in the Ellembelle district of the Western region are to be slaughtered.

This is an interim measure veterinary officials are taking following an outbreak of the communicable disease known as the African swine fever.

Head of Food at Western Region, Victor Ako-Nai told Nana Adwoa Nstua of Radio Maxx in Takoradi that he received several distress calls from farmers in the area about a possible outbreak of the disease.

He said veterinary officials from Accra and Takoradi who visited the area confirmed that over 100 animals have been affected by the deadly African swine fever.

Mr Ako-Nai said several communities in Ellembele would be disinfected.

Already a team of veterinary officials has been dispatched to some communities in the Ellembelle district to destroy the affected animals and disinfect some other animals.

Regional Veterinary Officer Dr Christopher Sagoe told Joy News the disease has been contained in four communities as they work hard to prevent it from spreading to the other communities.

Most of the affected animals have been quarantined, he said, as officials move from one community to another to destroy them.

He allayed fears that some unscrupulous persons might be selling infected meat or live animals to unsuspecting members of the public.

According Dr Sagoe, the veterinary officials have received enormous cooperation from residents of the affected communities whom he said have been educated and have accepted to abide by the regulations, “so we don’t expect anybody to take the meat or live animals out”.