The German Federal Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, has confirmed that a strict containment of the outbreak of the swine fever is the priority. “We have taken all precautionary measures, in cooperation with the states of Brandenburg and Berlin” he said in the ARD “Tagesthemen”.
The Green Party politician hopes that this will be the only case. “That’s already bad enough.” He added that the economic consequences for farmers would be “hard to predict” if the outbreak were to spread. Initially, the federal states would be responsible for compensating the farmers through the so-called “epidemic fund”.
Regarding the export, the minister emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that an outbreak of the disease would have dramatic consequences. He is in direct talks with countries such as the United Kingdom, to ensure transparency and determination in the fight against the disease. He expressed understanding for his foreign counterparts, saying, “No one wants it in their own country, no one wants to be the minister responsible for it happening due to carelessness.” Germany, he added, is a country that can be relied upon. “We have had this one case so far. We are prepared for all subsequent stages, but we naturally hope that it will not come to that.”
The virus was detected in a buffalo herd in Hönow, in the Märkisch-Oderland district of Brandenburg, last week. The exact route the disease took to reach Germany remains unclear.
Many experts reacted with surprise to the outbreak. As epidemiologist Carola Sauter-Louis told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”, “Nobody had expected this.” She hopes that this will be the only outbreak in Germany. “At the moment, the outbreak is still very small, with 14 infected animals. Three of them have died, and the rest have been killed. It’s possible that there are already infected animals elsewhere that we haven’t yet noticed” she warned.
The exact route the disease took into the farm is still unknown, and experts are currently trying to find out. “It’s possible, for example, that meat from countries where the virus is circulating was brought to Germany and then somehow made its way into this buffalo farm” she said.