African swine fever (ASF) has been largely contained in Saxony. There is currently only one active case, which was detected less than a year ago, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs. A further reduction in the restricted zones, which currently only exist in parts of the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz, has now been applied for.
According to the ministry, a total of 2,398 wild boars or wild boar carcasses infected with the ASF virus have been detected in the state since the initial outbreak at the end of October 2020. The state has spent around 54 million euros on combating the disease. Around 30 million of this was spent on the construction and dismantling of around 850 kilometers of fencing alone.
African swine fever is a viral infection that only affects pigs. It is almost always fatal and incurable. Surviving animals do not develop immunity to the virus and can become infected again. To date, there is no way to protect pigs through vaccination. The disease can be transmitted directly from animal to animal or indirectly via contaminated objects and feed.
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