African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable animal disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. The infection manifests itself through non-specific symptoms such as loss of appetite and lethargy, fever, diarrhoea and vomiting, and often leads to the death of infected pigs. Since 2020, the virus has also been spreading in Germany. In addition to infected wild boars, 19 domestic pig herds across Germany have so far been affected by the disease.
African swine fever is transmitted through direct contact with infected pigs, their carcasses or pork products. Indirect routes of transmission can include contaminated vehicles, clothing, feed or bedding. It is therefore particularly important to comply with the legal biosecurity requirements and to protect your farm from ASF.
Biosecurity requirements include:
- No other pigs must come into contact with the pigs in the herd.
- No other pigs must come into contact with feed or bedding.
- Secure fencing around the piggery and the feed and bedding storage area
- A hygiene chamber for changing clothes and shoes upon entering the barn, as well as facilities for cleaning and disinfecting shoes and hands
- Recording of visitors to the barn
- No feeding of food scraps
- Signage: “Pig herd – unauthorised feeding and entry prohibited”
- Work instructions for entering and leaving the barn, bringing animals in and out, and cleaning and disinfecting the barns and the hygiene airlock
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has published a brochure entitled “Protection against animal diseases – what farmers can do”. The Fokus Tierwohl network has translated this into four languages – English, Romanian, Polish and Ukrainian – so that the biosecurity requirements are also easily understandable for foreign-language staff. The brochures can be downloaded free of charge here:
Brochure "Protection against animal diseases – what farmers can do" – German version
Brochure “Protection against animal diseases – what farmers can do” – English version
Brochure "Protection against animal diseases – what farmers can do" – Polish version
Brochure "Protection against animal diseases – what farmers can do" – Romanian version
Brochure "Protection against animal diseases – what farmers can do" – Ukrainian version
Further information is available on the websites of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Friedrich Löffler Institute:
Information from the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
Information from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture