African swine fever
Jürgen Treiber / pixelio.de 
Feral pigs are introducing African swine fever into the European Union.
GERMANY, Bonn. "The danger of ASF spreading is still very high," warned NRW Agriculture Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser.
In Germany, there have been around 2,965 confirmed detections in wild and domestic pig populations since the first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in September 2020 to date, according to the database of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute(FLI), four of them in livestock holdings. Although no new cases were reported from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the epidemic continued in Brandenburg and Saxony. Within a week there were 23 new cases of ASF in wild boar in Saxony, in Brandenburg there were 21, all of them in the already affected areas.
In Poland, 144 new ASF detections in wild boar were added in the seven-day observation period. The total number for the year to date thus rose to 2,804 cases in the neighboring country; there were also 122 outbreaks in domestic pig herds. For Germany, 2,540 virus detections had been reported in wild pigs in 2021 up to last Friday. According to the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim, which was last affected in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the construction of an electric fence around the extended core area in the Redlin area in the municipality of Siggelkow was completed last Tuesday. Despite intensive fall game search no further dead wild boars were found there. The district Mecklenburgische-Seenplatte sees itself according to own information "downright surrounded" by outbreak areas. Therefore, it is imperative to intensify the early detection, so that the entry of the virus can be detected and limited as soon as possible. In a general order published last Tuesday, it was ordered that all wild boar found or shot in the county must be tested for the ASF virus. The hunting community was called upon to follow suit and adhere to biosecurity measures.
Meanwhile, North Rhine-Westphalia's Agriculture Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser appealed to the hunting community to refrain from hunting trips to ASF areas. "The danger of an ASF spread is still very high," the minister warned. Hunting trips should be avoided in these times. This is an important precautionary measure to prevent an introduction, she said. It must be made as difficult as possible for ASF, but currently also for avian influenza, to spread.
In Poland, 144 new ASF detections in wild boar were added in the seven-day observation period. The total number for the year to date thus rose to 2,804 cases in the neighboring country; there were also 122 outbreaks in domestic pig herds. For Germany, 2,540 virus detections had been reported in wild pigs in 2021 up to last Friday. According to the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim, which was last affected in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the construction of an electric fence around the extended core area in the Redlin area in the municipality of Siggelkow was completed last Tuesday. Despite intensive fall game search no further dead wild boars were found there. The district Mecklenburgische-Seenplatte sees itself according to own information "downright surrounded" by outbreak areas. Therefore, it is imperative to intensify the early detection, so that the entry of the virus can be detected and limited as soon as possible. In a general order published last Tuesday, it was ordered that all wild boar found or shot in the county must be tested for the ASF virus. The hunting community was called upon to follow suit and adhere to biosecurity measures.
Meanwhile, North Rhine-Westphalia's Agriculture Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser appealed to the hunting community to refrain from hunting trips to ASF areas. "The danger of an ASF spread is still very high," the minister warned. Hunting trips should be avoided in these times. This is an important precautionary measure to prevent an introduction, she said. It must be made as difficult as possible for ASF, but currently also for avian influenza, to spread.
Source: fleischwirtschaft.de; AgE
