Warning system - Hunts for the early detection of African swine fever
The obligation to test wild boar for African swine fever (ASF) no longer applies in Lower Saxony - but there is still an early warning system: random blood samples are taken from the animals during large hunts. There has not yet been a confirmed case of ASF in the wild. In February 2022, the disease broke out on a farm in Emsland - this was the first case in Lower Saxony.
There is enormous respect among hunters for the animal disease. "It's only a matter of time before ASF starts," said professional hunter Martin Tripp from the Heimbuch forestry district near Bispingen in the Heidekreis. He has been working intensively on the topic of ASF for five years and prepares prospective foresters for such an epidemic scenario during their training.
"We still have a perfect world in Lower Saxony, but this year we had around 800 confirmed cases in wild boar in Germany, mainly in Brandenburg and Saxony," said Ulrich Neufeldt, a veterinarian from Schneverdingen. The consequences of an outbreak in wild animals would be catastrophic. Driven hunts are used to reduce populations. "It is assumed that the more fragile the chains of infection are, the better," explains Tripp. That is why more wild boar are hunted. The reproduction rate of wild boar is 300 to 400 percent.
African swine fever is a highly infectious viral disease that is harmless to humans but is usually fatal to domestic and wild pigs.
Landesforsten Ministry of Agriculture: Questions and answers on ASF
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- Despite the absence of confirmed ASF cases in wild boar in Lower Saxony, a warning system remains in place for early detection, involving random blood samples during large hunts.
- Following the first case of African swine fever in Lower Saxony, at a farm in Emsland in February 2022, veterinarian Ulrich Neufeldt cautions about the severe consequences an outbreak in wild animals would have.
- Martin Tripp, a professional hunter from Bispingen in the Heidekreis, emphasizes the necessity of maintaining vigilance against African swine fever, given the high number of confirmed cases in wild boar in Germany, particularly in Brandenburg and Saxony.
- The Lower Saxony Landesforsten Ministry of Agriculture recommends taking measures to reduce wild boar populations with driven hunts, as it's believed that the weaker the chains of infection, the simpler it will be to combat African swine fever.
- African swine fever, a highly contagious viral disease, is harmful to domestic and wild pigs, and it poses no threat to humans.
Source: www.stern.de
