African swine fever in Eastern Europe - a threat also for German pig holdings?

The occurrence and almost unhindered spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Trans-caucasian countries and the Russian Federation gives reason to analyze the level of threat for the German pig population. In view of a possible risk of introduction into the European Union, disease awareness campaigns and disease recognition training is urgently required, especially since ASF has never been reported in Germany. ASP is caused by a large, complex DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family. Beside domestic pigs and wild boar; soft ticks of the genus Ornithodorus are involved in the infection cycle, especially in Africa. Like classical swine fever (CSF), ASP can be associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes. Based on clinical signs only, discrimination of ASP and CSF is impossible. The virus strains prevailing in the Trans-caucasian countries and the Russian Federation are currently highly virulent indiscriminately both for domestic pigs and wild boar: Mortality may reach up to 100% in pigs of all ages. As legal animal movements and the transport of pig products from Russia into the EU are not possible, the introduction risk rests with food waste and passenger traffic. Moreover; insufficiently disinfected transport vehicles returning from the Russian Federation and other affected countries pose an additional risk to the German pig population.