African swine fever continues to rise in the EU

African swine fever (ASF) entered five new European countries in 2023, according to a report from ISN, the interest group for pig production in Germany. Total cases across the EU were well above the previous year’s level. With a total of 12,121 outbreaks, the numbers have almost doubled compared to 2022. ASF cases in wild boars in Europe have increased slightly. Poland remains the country most affected by ASF.

In 2023, ASF has moved into five new countries. Outbreaks occurred for the first time in Greece, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sweden. In Greece and Kosovo, it was apparently a point entry, as the virus no longer spread there.

Case numbers in domestic pigs have risen dramatically. In Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the virus broke out in domestic pig herds for the first time in 2023. With more than 1,500 cases, Bosnia-Herzegovina records the highest number of cases. The events are currently still acute. More than 1,100 cases were also reported in Croatia, followed by Serbia with more than 900 affected domestic pigs and Romania with more than 700 cases. Overall, the total number of ASF outbreaks in Europe among domestic pigs with 4,500 is significantly higher than the total number from 2022 with 515 cases.

ASF levels in the wild boar population are similar to those of 2022. The biggest outbreaks occurred in Poland. By the end of the year, ASF cases had reached 2,624. Italy reported 1,009 cases, Germany reported 880, and Latvia declared 718 positive cases.

In Germany, the number of ASF cases is on the decline, according to ISN. The number of ASF cases in wild boars continues to decrease; as a result, restriction zones could be partially reduced or dissolved in the affected federal states.

Since the beginning of the year, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute has detected 880 ASF cases in wild boars and one case in a domestic pig population. Occurrences in Germany were limited to the districts of Görlitz and Bautzen in Saxony as well as Spree-Neiße, Uckermark and Oberspreewald-Lausitz in Brandenburg near the Polish border.

Tags: EU, Poland, African Swine Fever, Production, ASF, Germany, outbreaks, pig