ASF confirmed in domestic pigs in Germany again
African swine fever (ASF) has been detected on a small farm in eastern Germany, dealing a further blow to the country’s struggling pig sector.
The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) confirmed the virus on a holding with just 11 animals in the city of Cottbus, in Brandenburg, where ASF has first found in wild boar in September 2020.
The Brandenburg Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Integration and Consumer Protection (MSGIV) confirmed that ASF restrictions were immediately put in place around the holding and that the pigs in the herd have been slaughtered.
Investigations into the cause of the outbreak are underway. Secretary of State for Consumer Protection Dr Antje Töpfer once again appealed to all pig farms and in particular to all small farms to strictly comply with the biosecurity measures in place to prevent further outbreaks in domestic pigs.
The latest case will undoubtedly come as a further blow to Germany’s efforts to regain its export markets that have been lost since the first case in wild boar in September 2020, particularly China.
However, German pig industry body ISN said, given that the affected farm is within the existing restriction zones in Brandenburg, the development will not have a big impact on the pig market.
Alistair Driver / Pig World
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