Warns border-goers: Hesse issues caution
In response to the recent outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Hessian Ministry of the Environment has implemented a series of measures to control and prevent the spread of the disease within Hesse.
The regional councils of Kassel and Gießen have been actively involved in these efforts, with the construction of permanent and mobile electric fences along a 500-meter corridor near the state border in the districts of Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, and Lahn-Dill [1]. These fences are intended to serve as a barrier, preventing ASF from spreading into western and northern Hesse. Property owners in these areas are legally obligated to tolerate the erection and maintenance of these barriers under newly issued general decrees.
Intensive search operations for dead wild boars, potential carriers of the virus, are also being carried out using specially trained dogs and drones along the border area. A mobile decontamination station has been set up in Marburg-Biedenkopf to support biosecurity efforts [1]. As of late July 2025, no ASF cases have been reported in northern Hesse [1].
The Hessian Ministry emphasizes the importance of informing citizens early about the dangers and protective measures of ASF. Reports of dead or sick wild boars can be made to the competent veterinary authority or online via the animal find registry. It is crucial to note that the virus is harmless to humans and other animals [1].
African Swine Fever was first confirmed in Hesse about a year ago, with cases mainly affecting southern Hesse so far. An infection in domestic or wild pigs almost always leads to death. Thousands of pigs have died from ASF or have been culled in Hesse since the outbreak [1].
The ministry provides information on its website to raise awareness about ASF and containment measures. Recently, ASF cases have been detected in North Rhine-Westphalia in the district of Olpe [1]. The mobile electric fences being erected parallel to the Hessian-North Rhine-Westphalian border in these districts are intended to potentially prevent infected wild boars from migrating further east.
In the event of an outbreak on a pig farm, the entire herd usually has to be culled, which can cause significant economic damage to affected farmers. However, the proactive measures being taken by the Hessian Ministry aim to minimize such incidents and protect both the agricultural industry and the general public from the potential spread of ASF.
[1] Source: Hessian Ministry of the Environment press release, July 2025.
- To safeguard the health-and-wellness of citizens and the agricultural industry, the Hessian Ministry of Environment has implemented measures involving science, including the construction of electric fences, for controlling and preventing the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in regions like Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, and Lahn-Dill.
- In addition to these physical barriers, ongoing efforts for early detection of infected wild boars involve the use of medical-conditions expertise, such as specialized dogs and drones, to conduct search operations along the border area in an effort to manage and minimize the impact of ASF, which is harmless to humans but lethal to pigs, on the environmental-science ecosystem within Hesse.
