African swine fever in North Rhine-Westphalia: The closest related viruses originate from southern Italy

06/24/2025 - As part of the virological investigation into the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) determined the complete genome sequence of blood and tissue samples taken from wild boars. A direct comparison with ASF viruses that have previously been sequenced in Germany shows that the North Rhine-Westphalian variant differs significantly from the West German variants previously identified in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, as well as the variants from the eastern federal states of Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. An international comparison with published genome data reveals a high degree of similarity with ASF viruses from the Italian region of Calabria. These Italian variants exhibit specific changes that have also been found in the new North Rhine-Westphalian variant and distinguish it clearly from other previously known ASF viruses.