According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia, African swine fever was identified in a dead wild boar piglet found near the settlement of Störmecke, close to Schmallenberg. The suspicion was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI).
The infected animal was discovered within the existing restriction zone II, which includes parts of the districts of Olpe, Siegen-Wittgenstein, and Hochsauerland. As of February 26, no additional ASF-positive wild boar have been detected near the discovery site, but an extensive search for further dead animals is currently underway.
Since the first ASF outbreak in North Rhine-Westphalia, recorded near Kirchhundem in June 2025, protective measures have been in place under general decrees issued by local authorities. Currently, the Hochsauerland district administration, together with the State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, is coordinating possible expansions of the protection zones.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Agriculture Minister Silke Gorißen has called on citizens to strictly comply with the established restrictions, behave responsibly in nature, and immediately notify veterinary authorities if dead animals are found to ensure their prompt removal.
Experts emphasize that rapid detection and effective control of ASF spread within wild boar populations are crucial to preventing further risks to the pig farming sector.
PigUA.info based on materials from euromeatnews.com