ASP: Fattening pig population in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania affected

The African swine fever was detected Tuesday evening in a fattening pig population with 4.038 animals near Güstrow in the Rostock district in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The exact source of the entry is not yet known. The control measures were initiated by the local authorities. This means that the animals must now be culled immediately and safely disposed of. In addition, operations were closed and a restricted zone with a three-kilometer radius and a surveillance zone with a ten-kilometer radius were set up. Within the exclusion zone, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. According to Till Backhaus, there are eight pig farms in observation zone 20. Pigs may only be removed from these after an official medical examination and sampling.

After an increasing number of deaths had occurred in the affected company, samples were sent to the FLI for investigation, where the suspicion of ASF was then confirmed. The affected fattening farm receives the piglets from a sow facility with approx. 1.000 sows, which supplies a total of 3 farms. These establishments are now strictly monitored and examined. So far, however, there have been no signs of an ASF infection in the other companies. With the first case in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the third federal state is now affected by the ASP. So far there have been neither ASF cases in wild boars nor in domestic pigs. Epidemiologists from the Friedrich-Löffler-Institut (FLI) are now trying to find out "criminologically" on site how the entry into the fattening farm could happen. At the moment, “we are groping in the dust,” says Backhaus. According to the minister, the crisis team was already "started up" last night, and there are agreements with the police and the hunters because of the transport bans and the now more intensive search for fallen wild boar. "We now have to stand together to avert damage to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany and the animal owners", emphasized Backhaus. This confirms the fears of most experts that at least one isolated spread of ASF in Germany cannot be prevented.

Now it is important that the causes for the entry into the fattening farm are determined and that the control strategies that have already been started take effect on site. In contrast to the ASF cases in wild boars, the virus occurrence in fattening pigs can be precisely narrowed down and controlled in a targeted manner. With regard to the market, the situation does not change, because one way or another Germany is already banned from exporting pork to many third countries. However, another federal state is now affected and restriction zones have to be expanded or redesignated.

Source: ISN Market Report