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Joining the club: First detection of African swine fever in wild boar in Germany
  • +18
  • Carola Sauter-Louis,
  • Jan Forth,
  • Carolina Probst,
  • Christoph Staubach,
  • Andreas Hlinak,
  • Annett Rudovsky,
  • Diana Holland,
  • Patricia Schlieben,
  • Melanie Göldner,
  • Juliane Schatz,
  • Sabine Bock,
  • Melina Fischer,
  • Katja Schulz,
  • Timo Homeier-Bachmann,
  • Ralf Plagemann,
  • Ulf Klaaß,
  • Ronny Marquart,
  • Thomas Mettenleiter,
  • Martin Beer,
  • Franz Conraths,
  • Sandra Blome
Carola Sauter-Louis
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Jan Forth
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Carolina Probst
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Christoph Staubach
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Andreas Hlinak
Landeslabor Berlin Brandenburg
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Annett Rudovsky
Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz Verbraucherschutz und Gesundheit
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Diana Holland
Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz Verbraucherschutz und Gesundheit
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Patricia Schlieben
Landeslabor Berlin Brandenburg
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Melanie Göldner
Landeslabor Berlin Brandenburg
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Juliane Schatz
Landeslabor Berlin Brandenburg
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Sabine Bock
Landeslabor Berlin Brandenburg
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Melina Fischer
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Katja Schulz
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Timo Homeier-Bachmann
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Ralf Plagemann
Ministerium für Soziales, Gesundheit, Integration und Verbraucherschutz des Landes Brandenburg
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Ulf Klaaß
Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz Verbraucherschutz und Gesundheit
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Ronny Marquart
Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz Verbraucherschutz und Gesundheit
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Thomas Mettenleiter
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Martin Beer
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Franz Conraths
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Sandra Blome
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Bundesforschungsinstitut fur Tiergesundheit
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Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) has spread across many countries in Europe since the introduction into Georgia in 2007. We report here on the first cases of ASF in wild boar detected in Germany close to the border with Poland. In addition to the constant risk of ASF virus (ASFV) spread through human activities, movements of infected wild boar also represent a route of introduction. Since ASF emerged in Western Poland in November 2019, surveillance efforts, in particular examination of wild boar found dead, were intensified in the regions of Germany bordering with Poland. The first case of ASF in wild boar in Germany was therefore detected by passive surveillance and confirmed on 10th September 2020. By 24th September 2020, 32 cases were recorded. Testing of samples from tissues of carcasses in different stages of decomposition yielded cycle threshold values from 18 to 36 in the OIE-recommended PCR which were comparable between the regional and national reference laboratory. Blood swabs yielded reliable results, indicating that the method is suitable also under outbreak conditions. Phylogenetic analysis of the ASFV whole-genome sequence generated from material of the first carcass detected in Germany, revealed that it groups with ASFV genotype II including all sequences from Eastern Europe, Asia and Belgium. However, some genetic markers including a 14 bp tandem repeat duplication in the O174L gene were confirmed that have so far been detected only in sequences from Poland (including Western Poland). Epidemiological investigations that include estimated postmortem intervals of wild boar carcasses of infected animals suggest that ASFV had been introduced into Germany in the first half of July 2020 or even earlier.
09 Oct 2020Submitted to Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
10 Oct 2020Assigned to Editor
10 Oct 2020Submission Checks Completed
10 Oct 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
18 Oct 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Oct 2020Editorial Decision: Accept
06 Nov 2020Published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 10.1111/tbed.13890