African swine fever confirmed in Germany: first country halts meat imports from Germany

Update September 10, 4:23 pm: After the evidence of African swine fever in Germany (see original report) hat South Korea he to import pork of the Federal Republic arrested. The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture said the ban applies to products that would be delivered from Thursday. The pig that has already arrived from Germany will be dated inch thoroughly examined. According to the information, more than 420,000 tons or 18 percent of the Pork imports in the past year.

In South Korea itself, authorities reported the outbreak of African swine fever last year. As a result, thousands of animals had begun to be taken away. kill. The disease had occurred near the border with North Korea. Infection by the virus is harmless to humans, but generally fatal to pigs. A vaccination however, it is not possible.

Update on September 10 at 2:23 pm: Albert Stegemann, agricultural policy spokesperson from CDU / CSU *, has the topic in a clip on Twitter African swine fever (ASF) He turned to the followers and explained that the epidemic is harmless to humans, even if it accidentally contaminated pig eats – and warns: “Now we have to make sure that market prices for farmers are not put under too much pressure.”

Update on September 10 at 11:57 am: Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) has after the initial test of African swine fever in Germany (see original report) In front Scare tactics he warned of possible economic consequences. “A wild boar has been found in a district,” he said in Berlin on Thursday.

It is now necessary to determine if there is spread in the area beyond the body discovered in Brandenburg. Then it must also be determined which pig farms exist. The goal is what happens to reduce and Contains. Certainly hog farmers are likely to be even stronger elsewhere “Attention” be. But they would not be “arrested” for a find in a district across Germany.

Klöckner emphasized that Commerce with pigs and pork could remain largely within the EU, through restrictions Businesses across Germany would not be affected, but only in the specifically affected area. According to the ministry, it can be assumed that Pork meat exports from Germany especially after Asia it should largely disappear. The ministry is in contact with several non-EU countries to also agree only regional restrictions, he said.

Klöckner: precautions for swine fever should prevent it from spreading

Update on September 10 at 11:25 am: A Action plan must according to information from Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) the spread of African swine fever after finding an infected dead wild boar. That included the Restriction passenger and vehicle traffic within the affected area and barriers, Klöckner said Thursday in Berlin. It is also about the use of Agricultural land, the search for dead animals and the possibility of amplification hunt by forestry officials or professional hunters.

The animal disease was detected in a carcass in Brandenburg, in the Spree-Neisse district. The goal is to prevent further spread as quickly as possible. “It will be important to identify the infected area as quickly as possible so that it can be delineated accordingly,” said Thomas Mettenleiter, head of the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI). It must be analyzed whether the boar carcass is a Individual case if the infection has already spread. Evidently the dead animal had been lying there for some time. Be very careful if the case dates back to the spread in western Poland last year.

First case of African swine fever in Germany

Update September 10 at 10:28 am: The African swine fever animal disease has reached Germany. There is a first case, said the Minister of Agriculture. Julia Klöckner (CDU *) on Thursday in Berlin. A suspicious case reported Wednesday night in a Wild boar carcass in Brandenburg (see original report) have been confirmed.

The corpse was a few kilometers from that German-Polish border It was found in the Spree-Neisse district. A sample of the corpse was taken to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute on Wednesday evening and there virologisch examined.

Swine fever is harmless to humans, as Klöckner emphasized. For domestic pigs and wild boars, however, the disease is fatal. Farmers fear big spreads economic damage.

Several cases of African swine fever have been known in western Poland since autumn 2019. Furthermore, the animal disease has already been detected in the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Romania and Belgium.

African swine fever: first official suspected case in Germany

Original report of September 9: Berlin – In Brandenburg there is an official suspected case of African swine fever. The Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory suspected that Wild boar carcass found the few kilometers from the German-Polish border in Spree-Neisse district It was found, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced on Wednesday. There was actually a solid protective fence on the Spree-Neisse district at the border for Poland planned but not yet built. There is already a moving fence.

A sample of the dead animal will now be in the Friedrich Loeffler Institute virologically examined. Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) will report on the result on Thursday.

The speaker of the Brandenbur Ministry of Consumer Protectiong, Gabriel Hesse, said that German press agency: “Today we have identified an official suspected case of African swine fever.” Only when the national reference laboratory also confirms the suspicion can we speak of an outbreak. The state crisis center and the municipal crisis centers are activated. The first protection measures are being prepared.

the African swine fever is he Classical or European swine fever (KSP) very similar in symptoms and course, but it is located mainly in Africa. In recent years there have been repeated cases in Europe. The disease has never occurred in Germany. That could have changed now. Viruses are harmless to humans, but are generally fatal to domestic and wild pigs. (as / dpa)

Header list image: © Lino Mirgeler / dpa