Germany Finds 42 Wild Boar with African Swine Fever, Cases Top 200
HAMBURG, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Officials have confirmed another 42 cases of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar in eastern Germany, the state government of Brandenburg said on Thursday, as an outbreak of the disease that has halted German pork exports to Asia persists.
The total number of confirmed cases has reached 240 since the first one on Sept. 10.
The 42 new cases are in the eastern state of Brandenburg, near to previous discoveries, the state government of Brandenburg said.
In all, there have been 225 cases in Brandenburg and 15 in the nearby eastern state of Saxony. All were in wild animals with no farm pigs affected.
China, South Korea and Japan banned German pork imports in September after ASF was found in wild boar.
The disease is not dangerous to humans but is fatal to pigs. Pork buyers often impose import bans on countries where it has been found, even in wild animals.
German pig prices have been kept stable by rising sales of German pork to other EU countries, which are in turn increasing exports to Asia.
German pig farmers are suffering the double blow of lower prices and reduced slaughterhouse capacity following the coronavirus crisis, German agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said on Nov. 27.
State aid for the pig market, such as subsidised storage of unsold pork is one option but not planned immediately, she said.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Barbara Lewis)
