Positive tests hit farm
18 August 2000
Positive tests hit farm
Pig producers have been
left reeling by the
outbreak of swine fever in
East Anglia. Around
12,000 pigs have already
been slaughtered and
the livelihood of many
farmers is threatened.
farmers weekly reports on
the human cost and the
search for the source
of the outbreak and
the lessons that
need to be heeded
Pig producers have been
left reeling by the
outbreak of swine fever in
East Anglia. Around
12,000 pigs have already
been slaughtered and
the livelihood of many
farmers is threatened.
farmers weekly reports on
the human cost and the
search for the source
of the outbreak and
the lessons that
need to be heeded
By Alistair Driver
THE young couple whose Norfolk farm is believed to be the source of Britains first swine fever outbreak since 1986 had worked for seven years to build up their business.
More than 900 pigs and piglets have now been slaughtered on the farm belonging to Jeremy and Amanda Havers, who live in the small village of Quidenham, about 18 miles south-west of Norwich. The couple are considering their future. It is likely to be months if not years before their pig unit can reopen.
In an attempt to ride out the low prices that have plagued the pig industry over of the past three years, Mrs Havers had used her earnings from a full-time job to support the farm.
Her husbands father, David, who is also a farmer, said the swine fever outbreak had brought a great deal of human misery as well as financial loss on the family.
"Jeremy and Amanda thought they had got through the worst of the pig crisis and now this hits them," he said. "They have put everything into their enterprise and this is a terrible thing to happen to them."
Mr Havers said his son thought that his world had fallen in when MAFF informed him of its intention to inspect the herd for swine fever.
He is now under a great deal of pressure, partly caused by media attention. "My son had to ask a group of photographers to leave the premises yesterday. It has been relentless."
The farm was a breeding unit. It supplied pigs to seven nursery units operated by British Quality Pigs in East Anglia.
Tested positive
At the time farmers weekly went to press, four of the seven nursery farms had tested positive for the disease. Another unit was awaiting test results. Eight finishing farms supplied by the nursery farms were still being tested.
Attention is focusing on the Havers farm because the herd which supplied it with breeding pigs has shown no signs of swine fever.
MAFF officials have also given the all-clear to an abattoir next door to the farm. EE Pilgrim & Son fell under suspicion after local farmers suggested it may have imported infected pigs or pigmeat.
Fine toothcomb
But abattoir manager Ray Pilgrim, said: "MAFF has been through us with a fine toothcomb. We have full traceability and showed that we have not imported any live pigs or even one kg of carcass meat."
Mr Pilgrim also denied that his company had spread abattoir waste on local fields in a move that could have spread infection.
MAFF confirmed it had given the abattoir the all clear. It is now investigating other potential sources, including humans and vehicles, that may have come into contact with infected pigs abroad.
Until last week there had been no swine fever in Britain for 14 years. But recent cases have been recorded in Germany, Holland, Spain and Italy.
Nevertheless, the origins of this outbreak may never be fully revealed. Although MAFF has a generally good record of tracing diseases, investigations into the 1986 British swine fever outbreak were inconclusive.
The source of the disease was eventually blamed on an infected ham sandwich discarded in a lay-by bordering a Hants farm.
Additional reporting by David Green
FEVERFACTS
• Classical swine fever is a highly infectious viral disease that kills pigs but poses no threat to human health.
• Symptoms include loss of appetite and high temperature. Affected pigs may also show red or purple areas of discoloration on the skin.
• Large outbreaks of swine fever occurred in Holland, Germany, Spain and Italy in 1997/8. Dutch farmers were forced to kill 2m pigs.
• The only swine fever outbreaks currently reported elsewhere in the EU are a small number of cases in Germany.
• The last outbreak of swine fever in the UK was in 1986. It may have been started by a pig which ate an infected ham sandwich discarded by a motorist.