Measures in the event of an outbreak
The measures to be taken after an outbreak of ASF are defined and described in regulations at EU level. The measures differ depending on whether ASF is detected in a population of domestic pigs or in wild boars.
domestic pig
If the disease is detected on a farm, all pigs are killed immediately and destroyed. The facility is then thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Two zones (observation area and protection zone) will be established around the operation. The first has a radius of at least three kilometers.
The exact size is determined by the responsible veterinary office and depends, among other things, on the epidemic, wild boar density, structure of pig farming, animal traffic, slaughterhouses, landscape and natural boundaries.
The veterinary authority also determines the radius within which all domestic pigs are culled. A minimum radius of 500 meters can be assumed. The other pigs in the protection zone are being examined by a veterinarian.
The second zone around the company is a large-scale surveillance zone. In the protection zone and the surveillance zone, there is a ban on transporting pigs, artificial insemination is prohibited and the transport of other domestic animals requires approval.
The restrictions will be lifted in the protection zone no earlier than 40 days after the cleaning and disinfection of the infected facility, if no further cases of the disease have occurred during this time. Transport in the surveillance zone is only possible after 30 days at the earliest.
Wild Boar
If ASF occurs in a wild boar, an infected zone is created around the site. Around the infected zone there is another buffer zone with approximately twice the radius of the first restriction zone.
In the infected zone, free-range and free-range farming can be subject to restrictions or prohibited; pigs may not be transported in or out. Transport is only possible with special permission. Grass, hay and straw may not be delivered from the infected zone to other pig-keeping farms. Dogs must be leashed. Hunting will be suspended in the infected zone until further notice.
There is an intensive search for dead wild boars in order to then recover them. Any scattering of wild boars that are still alive must be avoided. In the buffer zone, the wild boar population is reduced to a minimum. Samples are taken from every wild boar that is found dead and killed and tested for ASF.