Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

One dominant narrative of biosecurity permeates our human world. We see viruses as enemies that need to be contained or eliminated. However, when biosecurity measures fail to be implemented, it invites us to recognize the complexities of our relationship with viruses. Furthermore, it makes us question whether we can understand human-virus relationships in other terms than human control over them. This thesis explores the relationships built among rural communities in Northern Uganda and the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus. ASF is an endemic highly contagious disease that kills pigs. Smallholder farmers in this region face significant challenges in raising pigs due to recurring ASF outbreaks and difficulties in implementing biosecurity measures. Using Social Practice Theory and drawing on Multispecies studies, I analyze semistructured interviews with farmers and animal health practitioners to explore how they interact with the ASF virus. The thesis concludes that farmers have adapted to coexist with the virus by developing a set of skills such as hurriedly selling their pigs when an ASF outbreak occurs. In contrast to the approach of animal health practitioners, who prioritize containing the virus through biosecurity measures, farmers prioritize containing their financial investment rather than attempting to control the ASF virus. How farmers approach ASF management may not only be a conscious choice but also a result of the resources, understandings, and skills that have converged in this context.