Epizootic - More swine fever cases - protection zone to be extended
African Swine Fever (ASF) is spreading further in Hessen. This leads to an expansion of the existing protective zone. The Hessian State Laboratory (LHL) has identified the pathogen in two further carcasses, increasing the number of cases to nine, as the Agriculture Ministry announced. The confirmation investigation by the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) as a Federal Research Institute for Animal Health is currently still pending.
A wild boar carcass was found in Riedstadt-Leeheim, another one at Kühkopf in the Hessian Ried south of the previously designated core zone. This zone must now be expanded. This results in an increase in the size of the so-called restriction zone, which is drawn in a 15-kilometer radius around the discovery site. The area now includes parts of the city of Darmstadt and the district of Bergstraße.
So far, the districts of Groß-Gerau, Offenbach-Land and Darmstadt-Dieburg, as well as the Main-Taunus-District and the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Wiesbaden have been affected by the restriction zone. With the new discovery, the southern parts of the district of Groß-Gerau with Gernsheim and Biebesheim, as well as the entire area of Stockstadt, are now included in this zone. The district of Groß-Gerau is reportedly now fully within the restriction zone.
Within this protective zone, certain restrictions apply to the public, such as a leash requirement for dogs, but also for hunting and agriculture. The ministry decides on the measures to be taken on a case-by-case basis, it was stated. "We now expect an adjusted general regulation," explained the district administrator of the Landkreis Groß-Gerau, Thomas Will (SPD).
- The BMELV, the federal ministry responsible for food and agriculture, has been closely monitoring the Epizootic of African Swine Fever in Hesse, including the affected areas such as Groß-Gerau.
- Scientists at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute in Wiesbaden are working diligently to investigate the outbreak and develop strategies for Animal Health Protection in the light of the African Swine Fever in Hesse.
- The governor of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, has spoken out about the ongoing situation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining strict measures and Science-based strategies to contain the African Swine Fever in Hesse, particularly in the areas of Groß-Gerau, Kühkopf, and Riedstadt-Leeheim.
- Despite the expansion of the protection zone in Hesse due to the African Swine Fever outbreak, the regional economy of cities like Wiesbaden and Darmstadt, including their agriculture and tourism sectors, are remaining vigilant and implementing necessary precautions to ensure the Health and Safety of their local animals and inhabitants.
- As part of the efforts to combat African Swine Fever in Hesse, authorities in Wiesbaden have established checkpoints and inspection points at key borders and entry points to the region, implementing strict measures for imported animals and goods from African countries known to harbor the disease.
