First case of African swine fever in wild boar in North Rhine-Westphalia

On 14 June, the national reference laboratory for ASF at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute confirmed a case in a dead wild boar found in the Olpe district. Further suspected cases are currently under investigation. The exact type of ASF virus is being examined at the FLI to support the epidemiological task force in its investigation of the outbreak on site. The relevant state authorities have immediately initiated protective and control measures, including searching for further dead wild boars. It is not yet known whether this case is related to the ASF outbreaks in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, or in Brandenburg and Saxony, and this can only be assessed after a more detailed investigation of the virus found in the Olpe district. Outbreak investigations are important in order to assess the extent of the disease and enable appropriate control measures to be taken. Pig farms should review their biosecurity measures. In previous German outbreaks, cases have occurred in domestic pigs particularly in summer, so increased vigilance is required. Last year, for example, after the first cases were detected in wild boars, cases were reported on pig farms in Hesse.