Meanwhile 29 confirmed cases

The number of confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF) in feral pigs continues to rise. As the Federal Ministry of Agriculture announced this week, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) has detected the disease in nine more animals in Brandenburg. Officially, 29 wild boars have died of the animal disease in Germany so far. However, the ministry and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute emphasize in this context that the domestic pig population in Germany is still free of African swine fever.

Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, has welcomed Brandenburg's announcement to erect a permanent fence on the border with Poland. It is good that the legal basis for fence construction, which has been extended by the federal government, is now also being used, the Minister said. With a view to the current measures, but also in the direction of the other federal states, Klöckner reminded the audience that the EU Commission for fences would grant subsidies for prevention and control measures under certain conditions. The Minister also gave assurances that her department would continue to support the federal states beyond the applications already submitted for fencing along the German-Polish border. In addition, there was the possibility of solidarity-based financing by all the Länder in accordance with the Königstein Key.

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imago images / Mario Hösel

African swine fever

Examine animals early

Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are calling on pig farmers to participate in the state's own early detection programs and to have dead pigs tested for the ASF virus. more ››

At the same time, however, Klöckner warned against the "illusion" that fixed fence systems could safely prevent the spread of African swine fever. This had been scientifically questioned by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the FLI. "Fences are never completely tight, and urban areas are not fully integrated into the fence," emphasized the Federal Minister. This is why it is so important that the federal states take further effective measures, such as increased cadaver testing and targeted hunting. Against African swine fever, a mix of measures was needed, said Klöckner.