African swine fever in Zambia: potential financial and production consequences for the commercial sector.

The first officially recorded outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Zambia was in Eastern province in 1965. The disease now covers almost the whole province and is endemic in the indigenous breeds. In 1989, an outbreak of ASF occurred on a commercial property in central Zambia for the first time and was eradicated by depopulation. In order to examine the justification of the drastic control measures and the continued ban on the export of pigs and their products, the impact of the outbreak on the affected property as well as the potential consequences on the commercial pig sector in the district was assessed in the present study. The affected property lost 421,238 Zambian Kwacha (ZK) (USf439,965) as a result of the outbreak and control measures. However, the cost to the district could have been at least ZK14,917,500 (US$1,415,323) if the measures had not been effected. Furthermore, not taking such measures would have increased the risk to the entire commercial pig sector along the line of rail in urban centers.