Over 6,300 African swine fever cases reported in Germany since 2020

Since the first case of African swine fever was detected in Germany in September 2020, thousands more have been reported across the country, according to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI).

By November 21 this year, there were 6,330 reported cases in wild boars and 19 outbreaks in domestic pig herds, the FLI told dpa on Monday.

In Germany, African swine fever was first detected in September 2020 in a dead wild boar in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin.

Since then, the disease has spread to other regions in Germany, including Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.

African swine fever is a contagious viral infection that affects wild and domestic pigs and usually leads to death within a week.

There is no cure or preventative vaccine to protect the animals. The disease can be transmitted directly from pig to pig or indirectly through contaminated objects such as clothing and shoes as well as feed.

The disease cannot be transmitted to humans.

Source: dpa