African swine fever: hunters fight for Groß-Gerau!

African swine fever: hunters fight for Groß-Gerau!

African swine fever (ASF) has posed a serious threat to pig farming in Hesse for over a year. The situation has worsened, particularly in the Groß-Gerau district, where the first detection of the virus was found on June 15, 2024 in a wild boar in Rüsselsheim. The virus, which was probably imported from Bulgaria or Romania, means that the affected companies are in particular focus. A combination of consistent hunting and biosecurity measures is essential to contain the disease and protect stocks. That's what she reports Frankfurter Rundschau.

Since the first confirmed case, 5,804 wild boar carcasses have been sampled across the entire state of Hesse, of which 2,192 were infected with the ASF virus. The Groß-Gerau region has been particularly hard hit, where 1,434 dead wild boars were examined, of which 601 tested positive for the virus. There are currently only 700 domestic pigs left in this area, while over 3,500 have already had to be culled. Animal owners face major challenges because hunters and farmers are equally affected.

Hunting as a means of containment

In order to control ASF, hunters in the Groß-Gerau district are working intensively on eradicating wild boar. 460 wild boars were shot in April and May. However, it is estimated that twice to three times as many animals could still live in the region. To motivate the hunters, they receive 200 euros for each wild boar they kill, but the meat cannot be marketed.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that the ASF virus can be transmitted not only directly from animal to animal via contact or contaminated materials, but also through indirect routes. These include agricultural equipment, animal feed or hunting utensils, which further increases the risk of a wider spread, they said Website of the Bergstrasse district.

Biosecurity measures are essential

To prevent the spread, strict biosecurity requirements are essential for all farms. This includes strictly regulating contact between pigs and other animals as well as access to feed. Hygiene plays a central role here. Work instructions for access to stables and special cleaning and disinfection measures are essential. The guidelines were also summarized in a brochure from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which was translated into several languages ​​to support farmers and those affected, such as Focus on animal welfare explained.

The forecasts are worrying because it is assumed that the ASF could rage in Hesse for another five to six years if decisive countermeasures are not taken in time. In order to secure the farmers' harvest and minimize further impacts, the necessary restructuring in the affected farms is already being planned. But there is still a long way to go before the regions can be recognized as disease-free, as a deadline of twelve months must be observed after the last positive result.