African swine fever confirmed in North Rhine-Westphalia
Authorities investigate links to other outbreaks
17 June 2025
1 minute read
By: On June 14, the National Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever (ASF) at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute confirmed a case of ASF in a dead wild boar from the Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia. Additional suspected cases are currently under investigation.
The Friedrich Loeffler Institute is now analyzing the specific strain of the virus to support local outbreak investigations, alongside the epidemiological task force. State authorities immediately launched protection and containment measures, including a search for more wild boar carcasses.
Whether the case is connected to recent ASF outbreaks in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg or Saxony will only be known after further virological analysis. Tracing the origin and spread of the virus is key to determining the scale of the epidemic and implementing effective containment strategies.
Pig farms are advised to review their biosecurity protocols. Previous outbreaks in Germany have shown that cases in domestic pigs tend to occur in summer, underscoring the need for increased vigilance. In Hesse last year, pig farm registrations followed shortly after the initial detection of infected wild boars.
