The level of surveillance for African swine fever (ASF) has been raised in the Bas-Rhin and Moselle departments, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Tuesday, September 17. This decision follows the detection of a case of ASF 78 km from the Franco-German border.
While more than half of the countries in the European Union are affected by the African swine fever epizootic, France has so far been spared. It is nonetheless highly exposed to the risk of the disease being introduced by the arrival of infected wild boars. In its bulletin of 10 September, the animal disease surveillance network reported: Several wild boars carrying the virus in southwest Germany. The closest case to the border with France is 78 kilometers away.
Given this recent progression of African swine fever (ASF) near the Franco-German border, the Ministry of Agriculture has raised disease surveillance to level 2B in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle. “This measure makes it possible to mobilize more field actors to increase the reporting of wild boar carcasses, their collection and their analysis”specifies the Ministry of Agriculture in its press release dated September 17.
The aim of this enhanced surveillance is to detect cases of ASF in wildlife as quickly as possible in order to avoid its spread and prevent its transmission to domestic pigs. The ministry claims to be “in conjunction with hunters’ representatives to achieve optimal regulation of wild boars on the border with Germany, as is done in the PACA region (bordering Italy, editor’s note)”. In short, hunters are invited to eliminate as many wild boars as possible in the border area.
Not transmissible to humans, African swine fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease with a mortality rate close to 100%. No vaccine is available.The disease can pass from one country to another through infected wild boars, but also via the wheels of vehicles or a sandwich containing cold meats from a contaminated pig.
A communication campaign, launched by the ministry in July, aims to raise awareness “road hauliers, international travellers, hikers, hunters and expatriate seasonal workers at risk of introducing ASF into France, from contaminated food from infected countries thrown into the wild and consumed by wild boars“.
To complete this system, the ministry is assessing the possibilities of setting up fences intended to block or contain the disease.
In its press release, the ministry recalls that the “Strict compliance with biosecurity rules is the only bulwark in breeding to reduce the risks of contact between wild boars and domestic pigs“. In the event of proven ASF, contaminated livestock are euthanized and exports of pork products are stopped. These radical measures can disrupt the economy of the sector, as was the case in Germany, previously the leading pork producer in the European Union.
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