Swine fever - Ministry: Eleven cases of swine fever in Hesse so far
In Hessen, there have been eleven cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) confirmed so far. This was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture in Wiesbaden on a Friday. The cases were reportedly all found at wild boar carcasses in the Landkreis Groß-Gerau. In total, samples were taken from 108 dead wild boars.
According to a spokesperson for the ministry, there could be additional cases from the samples taken. The reason: For a case to be counted, the samples from the dead animals must be confirmed as ASF by two laboratories separately.
Since African Swine Fever was detected in a dead wild boar in Rüsselsheim in mid-June, the authorities have set up a restriction zone. Within the so-called restriction zone, certain restrictions apply to the public, such as a leash requirement for dogs, but also for hunting and agriculture.
The entire district of Groß-Gerau, parts of the districts Offenbach-Land, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Bergstraße, and Main-Taunus-Kreis are affected. The cities of Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, and Darmstadt are also affected in parts. The restriction zone extends to Rhineland-Palatinate, south of Mainz. The agent of African Swine Fever is harmless to humans. However, the disease usually runs its course fatally in pigs.
- The Ministry of Agriculture in Wiesbaden, Hesse, has reported eleven confirmed cases of African Swine Fever (ASF), all found in wild boar carcasses within the Landkreis Groß-Gerau.
- The BMELV, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, is closely monitoring the situation in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate due to the detected ASF case in a wild boar in Groß-Gerau.
- In response to the African swine fever outbreak, the Bundesjägerverband Hessen, the German Hunting Association in Hessen, has advised hunters in the affected areas to avoid consuming wild boar meat and to report any sick or dead animals to the authorities.
- Despite the measures implemented to control the spread of African Swine Fever, there are concerns about its potential impact on local swine farming and the European swine industry as a whole.
- In light of the ongoing African swine fever situation, German officials are urging the EU and other affected countries to collaborate on developing a cohesive strategy to eradicate the disease and protect animal health.
