Epizootic - African swine fever: first case in Rhineland-Palatinate
African Swine Fever has officially reached Rhineland-Palatinate. The disease was confirmed in a dead wild boar found in Gimbsheim (Alzey-Worms district) according to the Environment Ministry. An expert group has already been called at the local level.
Additionally, there is a suspected case in a dead wild boar in Oppenheim (Mainz-Bingen district). "This could possibly make the second district in Rheinland-Palatinate affected," the ministry said. However, the second sample is still pending.
The district had already been within the restriction zone after the first discoveries of African Swine Fever in Hesse. "Within the district, we are also searching for wild boar carcasses with trained dogs and drones with thermal imaging cameras," the ministry added.
Two dead wild boars were found in Gimbsheim on Saturday according to the ministry. The virus of African Swine Fever was detected during the first examination at the State Laboratory. Since it's the first case in Rheinland-Palatinate, the sample was sent to the National Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever for confirmation.
African Swine Fever is a notifiable disease in pigs and wild boars with high mortality rate. Carriers are sick pigs, but also virus-carrying animal carcasses and slaughter and food waste. Vaccines do not exist currently. The risk of transmission to humans and other animal species exists currently, however, is not significant.
- The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute in Greifswald, Germany, is currently analyzing the sample from the suspected case in Oppenheim, as per the latest update from the BMU in Berlin.
- Hesse, the neighboring state, has already been dealing with African Swine Fever, with numerous cases reported in various regions, particularly affecting the pig population.
- The Environment Ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate has urged farmers in the Mainz-Bingen district to vigilantly monitor their pig herds for any signs of illness and report any suspicious cases immediately.
- The Epizootic Disease Commission of Rhineland-Palatinate is closely collaborating with the agriculture authorities in Mainz and Bingen to coordinate controlled culling and disposal of affected pigs and wild boars.
- The Mayor of Bingen has announced a temporary ban on the transportation of live pigs and pig products within the city limits, in an effort to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever to non-affected areas.
- The Rhineland-Palatinate Agriculture Ministry is working closely with the federal authorities and neighboring states to develop a comprehensive control strategy, focusing on vaccination, surveillance, and biosecurity measures to contain the spread of African Swine Fever.
