The eastern state of Brandenburg in Germany has reported 596 cases of African swine fever in wild boar. 19 cases have been reported in Saxony, near the Polish border. Government figures show that domestic pigs remain free of the deadly virus.

However, the virus has continued to spread, with cases emerging in new areas. Authorities expanded two of the four “core” biosecure zones in both Saxony and Brandenburg to supress the disease.

The core zones are a key component of Germany’s ASF eradication strategy. After the core zones have been fenced off, the next step is to create “white” zones. After these larger zones have been secured, any wild boar found in them will be culled to make sure the animals cannot form a reservoir for the virus.

Read more about this story here.