ASF Germany: Outbreak in the west hits 2,000 dead wild boar mark
African Swine Fever (ASF) keeps on expanding, albeit slowly, in the wider area around Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany. An analysis of the latest figures shows that in this region alone, the virus has caused the death of at least 2,000 wild boar – and counting.
The outbreaks have been happening in this area of south western Germany since June 2024. The region is where 3 German states meet – Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. Each of them has reported dead wild boar due to ASF, but especially Hesse has been hit heavily.
Most wild boar casualties in Hesse state
When zooming in on the data available through the various state authorities, the German animal disease information system (TSIS) as well as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), a picture emerges of Hesse state alone being hit the heaviest. Until mid-May 2025, the state has reported 2,087 dead wild boar, whereas Rhineland-Palatinate is at 74 and Baden-Württemberg reported 12 so far. Compared to where the 1st outbreaks emerged – in the district Gross-Gerau – the virus has moved south to very recently also hit the outskirts of the city of Mannheim, all in all covering an area of 65 km.
Last week the first cases emerged in the district “Odenwaldkreis,” meaning the virus is moving a touch towards the east as well.
Last year, various pig farms got infected
Each state has also reported pig farms having fallen victim to the virus – all of which happened before the turn of the year. In July 2024, 8 farms were found infected in Hesse, with a small zoo also being infected in November of that year. In August 2024 a backyard farm was infected in Rhineland-Palatinate. Baden-Württemberg reported an outbreak on a backyard farm in May 2022 – but that was a one-off case, in a completely different area of the state than where the outbreaks are currently happening.
The outbreaks around Frankfurt-am-Main constitute a different infected area than in Eastern Germany. Close to the border with Poland, the states Saxony and Brandenburg fight their own battle to get ASF under control in their wild boar population. The virus is also abundant in the Polish wild boar herd.
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