Bavaria is preparing for the impending swine fever!

Bavaria is preparing for the impending swine fever!

African swine fever (ASF) is currently also causing a stir in the Dachau district. This worrying virus is increasingly spreading to Bavaria, putting both agriculture and the authorities on alert. The Dachau district office has already taken precautions to be able to react in the event of an outbreak. “We are prepared,” assures Dr. Sophie Rothammer, head of the veterinary department at the Dachau district office. Cooperation with other institutions and the population is essential to keep the virus at bay, as Merkur emphasizes.

Equipment and training are now in demand. Police and hunters practice rescuing a stuffed pig with experts from the veterinary office in order to test the reporting channels in an emergency. This is particularly important because in the event of an infection, all domestic pigs on an affected farm must be culled. In addition, protection and surveillance zones will be set up around the outbreak site to prevent the spread of the virus. Rothammer warns: “In a globalized world, it is only a question of ‘when’ before ASF also appears in Bavaria.”

What does this mean for agriculture?

The economic consequences of an outbreak would be devastating for pig farmers in Germany. According to BMEL, ASF is harmless to humans, but almost always leads to a painful death in infected animals. Since 2014, the disease has spread across large parts of Europe, primarily towards the southeast. Cases have also been identified in German states such as Brandenburg, Saxony and most recently in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Infection occurs through direct contact between wild and domestic pigs and through food containing the virus. The virus can also stick to hunting objects, clothing and shoes. The pathogen is stable and can be detected in the soil for months, which is why extensive hygiene measures are essential to prevent the virus from spreading further.

The commitment of the population

Citizens are urged to be vigilant and immediately report dead or suspiciously sick pigs. “This is a crucial contribution to combating the epidemic,” explains Rothammer. Food waste should never be disposed of in nature, especially meat products. An important appeal also goes out to hunters, who must be careful not to spread the pathogen from affected areas through hunting trophies. In this way, the local wild boar population remains protected in its natural environment.

• Verhaltensregeln für Jäger und Bürger:
  • Kadaver von Wildschweinen nicht berühren, sondern sofort melden.
  • Futter und Lagerung für Schweine sicher gestalten.
  • Speisereste nicht an Schweine verfüttern.
  • Hygiene bei der Jagd beachten.
  • Schweinehaltende Betriebe sollten regelmäßig ihre Biosicherheit prüfen.

Together, citizens and authorities can stand up to the virus. The veterinary office is also still looking for helpers for search and rescue teams and is offering training to improve how to deal with a potential outbreak. The faster and more effectively you react, the better the chances of keeping ASF at bay. There is a positive example from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where early detection and isolation of cases led to an ASF-free status.

Cheers to the cooperation and commitment of the population so that pig farming can continue to exist in Bavaria. So stay vigilant and urgently report suspected cases to the responsible authorities!