African swine plague: Gießen district warns of vigilance!

African swine plague: Gießen district warns of vigilance!

The district of Gießen has not yet been affected by the African swine plague (ASP), although the disease in the adjacent regions such as South Hesse spreads. This highly contagious virus infection, which almost always fatally ends for wild boar and their domesticated peers, could have serious effects on animal husbandry and hunting, which is why the district administration calls for vigilance.

Several cases of ASP have been documented in Hesse since June. By the end of September, a total of 168 wild boars and eight domestic pigs were tested positively for the virus in South Hesse. While the district of Gießen is currently not affected, the administration sees the need for action, relevant actors and the population to inform about preventive measures in good time. "The risk of introducing the ASP in the Gießen district is currently no higher than in previous years," said a spokesman for the district administration.

prevention measures and sensitization

In order to keep the situation under control, the district veterinary office has started to take various initiatives to raise awareness. This includes information from hunters, forest workers, the police and municipalities about necessary steps in the event of proof of the plague

Jäger, who are entitled to exercise hunting in the district of Gießen, receive special sample acceptance sets from the veterinary office. These should be used when dead wild boars are found. Samples from such finds are sent to the Hessian State Laboratory (LHL) for investigation. According to the district spokesman, this practice and the associated use of the hunters are decisive in order to quickly recognize potential outbreaks and prevent the spread of the virus.

When asked whether the swine fever could have an impact on the domestic hunters, Dieter Mackenrodt, the chairman of the "Hubertus" hunting club, said that he is currently seeing no further effects. Mackenrodt, the member of an expert group in the Ministry, emphasizes that the virus still seems "far away" for its group and hopes that it will stay that way.

The spread of ASP is not transferable to humans, but human behavior can contribute to the spread. Improper disposal of food that can contain the virus, or the transfer of the virus via shoes and vehicles are possible transmission paths. This underlines the responsibility of each individual, especially on excursions into nature.

Current developments in South Hesse

In South Hesse, work is actively working on restricting the movement of the wild boars and interrupting infection chains. Extensive measures were taken for this, including the construction of festival and electrical fences along important traffic routes. The local association Gießen of the Technical Relief Agency (THW) recently provided support by transporting fence material from Brandenburg to South Hesse to relieve the local authorities.

In addition, a special focus is on reducing wild boar stocks. Relaxation in the hunting and the use of so -called sessions, which allow the targeted removal of entire rotting, are intended to help prevent the expansion of the epidemic to prevent the plague. Only traps are used without metal grids to minimize the risk of injury for the animals.

The authorities do everything they can to get the transferable disease under control and continue to ask the population to vigilance. Particular attention applies to the areas where wild boars are common. In view of the potential threat that emanates from the ASP, it remains important to follow the rules of hygiene and conduct to prevent the virus from giving into the district of Gießen. Further information can be found in the report www.giessenerzeiger.de to be found.