Greifswald District in Vorpommern, Germany - African swine fever under suspicion
In a pig farm located in the region of Vorpommern-Greifswald, there's a suspicion that the pigs may be carrying the African swine fever virus. Officials from the State Office for Agriculture, Food Safety, and Fisheries have conducted preliminary tests on samples, according to an announcement from the Agriculture Ministry. The results indicated a high likelihood of African swine fever. As a precaution, these samples have been sent to the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute for further confirmation.
As a consequence, the local Veterinary and Food Safety Authority has shut down the pig farm and put disease control measures into place.
"So far, there are no indications of the disease spreading among wild boars," said Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD). "That's a good thing," he added. However, investigators will begin searching for clues on Thursday to determine how the virus got there if the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute confirms the diagnosis. A final verdict is expected on the morrow.
African swine fever is a highly infectious, viral disease that affects both pigs and wild boars. It almost always leads to death and isn't treatable. Humans and other animal species can't catch the illness. The disease can be transmitted both directly, from one animal to another, or indirectly by way of contaminated objects such as clothing, shoes, and feed. Humans play a role in spreading the disease to other regions.
