Minister Gorißen: Strict rules against swine fever in NRW!

Minister Gorißen: Strict rules against swine fever in NRW!

In the southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, important measures are being taken in view of African swine fever (ASF). Agriculture Minister Silke Gorißen (CDU) takes the population's concerns seriously and defends the situation in a recent statement. Although the restrictions for walkers are noticeable, the safety of the pig population is the top priority. The minister explains that it is necessary to stay on forest paths and keep dogs on a leash to prevent the spread of the virus, which is extremely dangerous for domesticated and wild pigs.

ASF was first detected in wild boars in the Sauerland in mid-June. There are currently strict regulations in the Kirchhundem region: leaving designated paths is prohibited, and the transport of pigs from infected zones is prohibited in order to minimize the risk of infection. So far, 35 wild boar deaths have been recorded, all within the affected area. So far, events have not been banned due to ASF, nor have there been any cases outside the infected zones. District Administrator Theo Melcher informs that some events were not held due to technical advice.

The dangers of African swine fever

ASF is a highly contagious viral infection that affects not only wild pigs but also domestic pigs and almost always leads to death. Information on the website BMEL show that the virus is completely harmless to humans and cannot be transmitted through consumption of pork or contact. However, the risk of infection is high, particularly through contact with contaminated materials or through blood and carcasses of infected animals. Even though transmission by insects is generally possible in our latitudes, it is classified as extremely unlikely.

If a domestic pig becomes ill, the regulations mean that the entire herd usually has to be killed. The economic consequences are significant, as this not only entails trade restrictions, but also endangers the entire herds of the affected pig farmers. That’s why prevention is so important. In order to contain the spread of ASF, strict hygiene and biosecurity measures are absolutely necessary in the affected companies. These include, among other things, the separation of kept and wild boar as well as targeted management strategies for the wild boar population.

Start of measures and prevention

The spread of ASF in Europe has been observed since 2014, with the first outbreaks in Germany in 2020 for wild boars and 2021 for domesticated animals. An early detection program is currently running in Lower Saxony to combat ASF and classical swine fever. The Lower Saxony animal disease information highlights that in the event of an outbreak, specific protection zones and surveillance zones will be set up to contain the spread. Strict requirements apply within protection zones, including a ban on the transport of breeding and commercial pigs and strict hunting regulations for wild boars.

It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming weeks. The ministry and the local authorities are in close contact to regularly inform the population about the situation and to adapt the necessary measures. While the path through the forest no longer swings quite as freely, everyone affected hopes that the ASF can be contained quickly in order to protect the pig population and thus the economic basis of many farmers.