Swine fever spreads: New cases in the Rhein-Neckar district!

Swine fever spreads: New cases in the Rhein-Neckar district!

Laudenbach, Deutschland - In Baden-Württemberg, the African swine plague (ASP) has come back into the headlines. Near the border with Hesse, new cases have been proven, including a hidden freshling near Laudenbach and a confirmed bone find in the same place. According to the voice, the new discoveries are classified in the existing epidemic, which is primarily shaped by the dynamic spread of the virus. The district office in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis explains that the existing restricted zones remain in force, whereby extended measures will not be excluded in the future.

An important aspect of the ASP is that it is a highly contagious, incurable viral infection that only affects house and wild boars. People are not affected; The virus is harmless to them and there is no vaccination for pigs. The ASP has been spreading in Europe since 2014 and has also reached Germany in recent years, where Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and now Baden-Württemberg are affected. The last ASP case in Baden-Württemberg was two years ago, and last year there was already an incident at Hemsbach in the Rhein-Neckar district, where a dislocated wild boar was killed.

Current developments and measures

The Health Director Doreen Kuss made it clear that it was only a matter of time until further cases would occur. Indeed, the ASP virus has been active in the neighboring federal states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate for months. The first case in Baden-Württemberg was documented in August 2024, and a second followed in March 2025 in a dead wild boar north of the A6 near Mannheim. The anxious question that many ask is: How do the responsible authorities deal with this development?

The city of Mannheim has already taken extensive epidemic control measures and issued general orders in order to contain the spread of the virus. In particular, the organic security measures in agricultural companies are of crucial importance to prevent the ASP from progressing further. Minister Peter Hauk emphasizes the importance of cooperation with farmers and hunters as well as the use of search dog teams and drones to monitor the situation. 25 kilometers of fence systems have already been built in Baden-Württemberg to counteract the spread of the virus.

A look at the regional and national situation

The ASP is not new in Germany and has left its mark in different federal states. According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, various region, including Brandenburg, Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, are affected. The danger is not only based on direct contacts between game and domestic pigs, but also from virus-containing foods that can be dangerous for wild pigs. Travelers should therefore be careful not to introduce animals or animal products from affected areas.

The current outbreak in the Rhein-Neckar region is directly related to what is happening in Hesse. It is all the more important to sensitize the population and take suitable prevention measures. The authorities coordinate their efforts intensively, also in cooperation with the adjacent countries, to minimize the dangers that emerge from the African swine fever. However, the fight against this highly contagious animal disease remains a constant challenge that demands both farmers and the community.