ASP risk remains: Ministry of Agriculture warns of further outbreaks

ASP risk remains: Ministry of Agriculture warns of further outbreaks

In the past two months, there have been no new cases of the African Swine plague (ASP) in Baden-Württemberg, but the Ministry of Agriculture continues to warn of a serious danger. A spokesman said: "The danger is not yet banned". This is mainly due to the ongoing high infection rate in the neighboring federal states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, which means that the plague is spreading under wild boar or in house pigs.

The first striking case in the region appeared in early August when a hunter in the Rhein-Neckar district carried an obviously ill wild boar. The outbreak represents the first after two years in Baden-Württemberg. The last time the disease was registered in the Emmendingen district. Since then, the topic has remained in the press, since no further suspected cases occurred in the southwest.

safety measures and locking zones

After the confirmed case in Hemsbach, several restricted zones were set up. These include a radius of 15 kilometers around the site where there are strict transport rules for pigs. The animals may only be moved according to a virus test. In addition, pig farmers have to follow strict security measures in order to prevent the virus from being spread. There is a strict ban on hunting in these zones so as not to scare off possibly endangered wild boars.

These security measures remain for the time being and should apply at least twelve months after the last proof of the swine plague. The decision about possible adjustments, such as the reduction or cancellation of the locking zones, lies in the hands of the EU Commission.

the disease and its transmission

The African swine plague is an extremely contagious and incurable viral infection that only causes pig infections and cannot be transferred to humans. No vaccines are currently available to protect the animals. The virus mainly spreads through direct contact between infected and healthy animals, especially through blood contact. However, it can also be transmitted indirectly, for example by contaminated objects, including tools, cars, clothing and feed.

For companies that keep pigs, an outbreak of the ASP represents a livelihood-threatening risk. In addition to the possible euthanasia of the inventory, there are also considerable economic losses from hygiene requirements and locking of stocks, which entails additional challenges in the area of space and animal welfare.