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African swine fever (ASF) has now also reached the domestic pig population in Germany. The virus was found on 3 small farms in the state of Brandenburg in eastern Germany.
Confirmation of the find was revealed this week. The national reference laboratory Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) confirmed the findings at 3 locations, 1 in the Spree-Neisse district and 2 in the Märkisch-Oderland district. Both are in the immediate vicinity of the border with Poland.
Farms with 200, 4 and 2 pigs
The business in the Spree-Neisse district is the largest of the 3 and had 200 pigs on site, all of which are culled. The farm is located near the village of Preschen, approx. 10 km from the Polish border and the Saxon state. According to the leading German agricultural title Top agriculture This was an organic pig farm with the possibility for the sows to go outside. The virus was detected in a dead pig as part of routine monitoring. So far it is unclear how the virus actually got into the organic farm.
Top agriculture quoted Henrik Wendorff, President of the Brandenburg Farmers’ Association, says: “According to our information, the operations manager has always complied with the requirements of the responsible veterinary office with regard to the prescribed biosecurity measures. “
Only a few pigs were kept at the two locations in Märkisch-Oderland. On July 15th, the first report came from a location in Kienitz-Nord with 2 pigs. Two days later, a location with 4 infected pigs was confirmed. According to a press release from the Brandenburg Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Integration and Consumer Protection (MSGIV), all 4 pigs were infected and 2 had died.
The 3 infected farms are the first to be infected with the ASF virus in Germany. The virus has been around in Germany since September 2020, when the pressure of infection from neighboring Poland grew too strong. The virus has existed in Poland since 2014, a situation that worsened when a new ASF cluster emerged in eastern Poland in November 2019.
According to Top Agrar, the larger of the 2 infected farms is an organic farm. The animals in the picture were unrelated to this outbreak. – Photo: Boerderij
Quick and consistent action against ARSP
In a press release, Brandenburg’s Consumer Protection Minister Ursula Nonnemacher replied: “I would like to thank the municipalities for their quick and consistent action. It is now important that we quickly find the cause of the entry into the pig population so that we know which route the virus took. The necessary investigations have been initiated and are supported by the Task Force of the State of Brandenburg and specialists from FLI, who we immediately asked for help. The fact that the cases were apparently found quickly shows that the animal disease monitoring works. “
In the meantime, a permanent fence along the border rivers Oder and Neisse has been completed, added Nonnemacher. A total of 6 core infection areas were identified. She added: “I would therefore like to appeal to all pig farms to continue to strictly adhere to the strict biosecurity measures, especially in small farms, in order to prevent further outbreaks in domestic pig farms.”
Consequences for the pig and pig trade
The detection of ASF in the domestic pig population is another blow to the pig industry, which so far has managed to keep the virus outside of the domestic pig population. Top Agrar quoted the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMEL): “The regionalization in the EU and with it the possibility of intra-Community trade in pigs and pork remains because the domestic pig herds concerned are in the same regions. However, exports to third countries are likely to be at risk again. “
ISN: Don’t panic about ASF in pigs
On behalf of the Association of German Pig Farmers ISN, managing director Dr. Torsten Staack, keep calm. He said: “ASF has already been designated for the 1”NS Time with domestic pigs in Germany is no reason to panic! The 2 affected companies are located within the already existing restricted zones in Brandenburg and have already been evacuated. Therefore, the situation for German pig farmers will not change significantly.
“On the market side, Germany is anyway for exports to many 3. lockedapprox Countries because of ASF in wild boars. At the European trade level, the regionalization principle continues to apply, so that there are currently no changes for the German sales markets in the EU. “
He added: “In addition, the supply of fattening pigs in this country is extremely low. It is at the 2007 level, an all-time low. Nevertheless, the German pig farmers are currently groaning under a ruinous price low. Specifically, they are currently making losses of € 30-40 / animal. Anyone who tries to keep the price low despite this situation is shamelessly exploiting the situation with advanced arguments. We therefore expect a clear statement from customers in Germany – at least a stable price level is now imperative and would send the right signal to German pig farmers. “
Poland continues to find farms that are positive for ASP
Meanwhile, the number of ASF-infected pig farms across the border, in Poland, is increasing rapidly. As in every summer, the numbers increase in July and August. Since the end of June, 22 (mostly smaller) pig farms have been found infected, 14 of them in western Poland. Recent additions to the Polish census included a farm in Greater Poland and one in the Lesser Poland Province, where no infections have been reported so far.
Since ASF first appeared in Poland in 2014, 364 farms have reported outbreaks.
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