ASF Germany: Number of wild boar cases in NRW grows to 78
The number of outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in wild boar in the German state North Rhine Westphalia has climbed further to 78. Outbreaks have now also been reported north of the town Erndtebrück in the district Siegen-Wittgenstein.
In a recent update by the German animal health information system (TSIS), the number of cases in the district Siegen-Wittgenstein went up from 7 to 29, with the majority near the town Bad Berleburg, but for the first time also relatively close to the town Erndtebrück. That town is close to the border of the defined infection zone II, which is supposed to contain the virus by the use of fencing. There are currently no reports about the infected zones having to be redrawn and additional fencing having to be placed.
In the neighbouring district Olpe the number of cases continues to stand at 49, bringing the total to 78 cases in wild boar alone.
Dead pig in corn field
Meanwhile, Germany’s leading agricultural newspaperTop Agrar reported about a curious case in which a dead domestic pig had recently been discovered in a corn field in district Borken, also North Rhine Westphalia. The animal of 100 kg, found by hunters, had lesions in the flank and abdomen, and no ear mark could be detected, which means that the animal’s origin was undetectable.
A lab confirmed the animal had not been infected by ASF – yet why it ended up in a corn field is a mystery. The local authorities warned that, in order to curb the spread of ASF, it is vital to follow biosecurity procedures in case of carcasses that need to be removed from a farm.
ASF on farms in Poland
In neighbouring Poland, the number of farms with ASF keeps on rising this summer as well. At the moment, the count is at 11 this year. If this trend continues, the total amount of infected farms this summer will be substantially lower than in 2024, when the summer wave led to 44 infected farms altogether.
6 of the 2025 outbreaks occurred in relatively small farms in Lublin province, in the east of the country, where the virus has been around since 2014. The other 5 occurred in various provinces more to the west of the country, including 3 farms of more than 1,000 pigs.
Join 18,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the pigsector, three times a week.
