The decision became possible after Saxony and neighbouring Brandenburg reported no new ASF cases in wild boar over an extended period. Only two buffer zones remain in the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz, where heightened monitoring will continue until the virus is completely eradicated.
Saxon Minister of Social Affairs Petra Köpping called the European Commission’s decision a major achievement:
“The complete lifting of the areas with the strictest restrictions is a great success. We are gradually approaching the full eradication of African swine fever. But we must remain vigilant and continue applying proven control measures.”
She stressed that pig owners must promptly consult veterinarians if animals show signs of fever or increased mortality and, if necessary, test them for ASF.
The first ASF case in Germany was confirmed in September 2020 in Brandenburg, followed by the first detection in Saxony in October that year. Since then, outbreaks in wild boar have also been recorded in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine–Westphalia.
A total of 2,398 ASF cases have been confirmed in wild boar in Saxony. Domestic pigs have remained unaffected throughout the entire period.
The lifting of restriction zones is viewed as an important step toward complete eradication of the virus in the region, although achieving final success will require continued monitoring of wild boar populations, maintaining high biosecurity on farms, and readiness to respond swiftly to any new cases.
PigUA.info based on materials from diesachsen.de