African Swine Fever (ASF): information on cases in Germany
The animal disease is harmless to humans – some kept porcine animal herds affected
In Germany, cases of African Swine Fever have occurred in wild boar in Brandenburg, Saxony and Mecklenburg Western Pomerania. The first case was confirmed in a wild boar in the rural district of Spree-Neiße in September 2020. So far, any further spread of the disease has been prevented. Therefore no other Länder have been affected. On 15 July 2021, the virus was first detected in kept porcine animals. This was followed by further individual ASF outbreaks in kept porcine animals in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony. These outbreaks have meanwhile been eradicated and both the official measures associated with these outbreaks and the restricted zones have been lifted. Currently there are only ASF cases in wild boar.
(Detailed information on the respective cases is available in the press reports below as well as the Animal Disease Information System (TSIS)).
The BMEL emphasises:
- that the animal disease is harmless to humans;
- that consumption of potentially contaminated meat also poses no risk to human health, but
- that pigs, however, fall seriously ill when contracting ASF, and the disease is almost always fatal for them.
- The animal disease is transmitted by wild boars and kept pigs, but also by food, hunting equipment, feed, clothing, shoes and other items used by farmers, hunters or persons engaging in recreational activities.
Extensive preventative and awareness-raising measures by the BMEL
Prior to the ASF outbreak in Germany, the BMEL had not only carried out extensive preventative and awareness-raising measures but had also undertaken preparations in case of an outbreak. Amendments to the German Animal Health Act and the Federal Hunting Act have ensured that the authorities competent under Länder law are able to issue the following orders in the event of an outbreak:
- restriction of passenger and vehicular traffic within specific areas;
- cordoning off of a specific area;
- hunting restrictions or bans;
- restrictions or bans on the use of agricultural land in order to prevent local movements of infected wild boar;
- the establishment of shooting lanes and intensified search for dead game to minimise the risk of healthy wild boar becoming infected;
- the possibility to authorise third parties (e.g. professional hunters or forestry officials) to undertake intensified hunting, where necessary.
Background information
African swine fever (ASF) has appeared in many EU countries since 2014. This animal disease, which is of great relevance for pigs and wild boars, is spreading rapidly across Europe – from countries that border the EU to the east.
How has ASF spread across Europe?
ASF is most prevalent in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is assumed that ASF was introduced into Georgia from Africa. In June 2007, the first ASF outbreaks were reported in Georgia. These outbreaks were presumably caused by the illegal disposal of food waste containing the ASF virus. After that, ASF spread through Georgia, and from there it continued its path to the west.
Following a first detection of ASF in the Czech Republic in June 2017, an ASF outbreak in wild boars in the Czech Republic could be contained by taking strong measures, so that in October 2018 the Czech Republic declared the outbreak of ASF eradicated in accordance with the requirements of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE). After February 2019, the Czech Republic was also considered free of ASF in accordance with EU rules. In early December 2022, ASF was once again introduced into the Czech Republic.
In the Belgian province of Luxembourg – in the tri-border area France-Luxembourg-Belgium, about 60 kilometres from the German border – ASF was detected on 13 September 2018 in wild boar found dead. Restricted zones were established and other measures taken, for instance the construction of wildlife fences to isolate the outbreak, which only affects the wild boar populations. Belgium is now deemed free of ASF again.
Since 14 November 2019, cases of ASF in wild boars have also been detected in western Poland. The first detections occurred around 80 kilometres from the German-Polish border.
Cases of the ASF virus in wild boars in areas of Italy previously free of the disease (Piedmont and Liguria) from January 2022 indicate an introduction of the pathogen. The detected serotype corresponds – in contrast to the pathogen endemic in Sardinia for years – to the serotype currently present in eastern Europe. Corresponding measures, such as the establishment of restricted zones around the places where the cadavers were found and epidemiological inquiries – also with the support of EU Commission experts – were initiated without delay.
Measures to be taken if kept pigs are affected
In Germany, the Länder are responsible for animal disease control. The authorities competent pursuant to Land law carry out the animal disease control measures. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) supports the epidemiological investigations. In the event of an ASF outbreak in kept pigs, restricted zones are also established around the affected areas. Movement restrictions and other measures apply to living pigs and pig products in these areas.
It is still possible to maintain intra-Community trade with pigs and pigmeat, as although applicable animal-health law generally prohibits movements from these restricted zones, it does provide for possible exemptions subject to certain conditions (e.g. examination of the pigs).
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Food: a source of infection
The virus is transmitted directly via animal contacts or indirectly, for example via meat or sausage from infected animals. Under unfavourable conditions, the careless disposal of virus-containing leftover food for consumption during travel may be sufficient to introduce the disease. Such leftover food should therefore be disposed of in places that are inaccessible to wild boars.
Since the virus remains contagious for an exceptionally long time, it can also be spread by objects such as tools, footwear, clothing, and transport vehicles. For this reason, travellers – including people on hunting trips – and transporters should be particularly cautious and responsible, and should comply with appropriate hygiene measures.
ASF: prevention and awareness-raising continue to be important
The BMEL is in close contact with the Länder and the relevant associations. Existing information and monitoring measures have been intensified and are regularly adapted to the situation. The BMEL has also once again been proactive in raising awareness among the general public, hunters and farmers, in particular pig farmers, Eastern European workers and travellers, including through intensified press work. In addition, the BMEL takes action to ensure an active exchange on ASF with Poland and the Czech Republic, which border on the countries with active outbreaks. It focuses in particular on issues relating to closer cooperation in border regions and better coordination of measures to control ASF. To this end, a number of meetings have already taken place at ministerial and technical levels.
A functioning system for the early detection of possible introductions into Germany places high demands on pig farmers, veterinarians, and hunters in order to give the animal disease as little time as possible to spread if there is an outbreak. Therefore, intensified sampling for the ASF virus both in kept pigs and in wild boar is currently being conducted.
The BMEL considers better control by the competent Länder of the biosecurity measures to be indispensable for preventing the introduction of ASF into kept pig herds – also in micro-farms.
