African swine fever (ASF) has been detected in two pigs from two domestic pig herds in Brandenburg, Germany.

It is the first case of ASF detected in domestic herds in Germany.

To date, it has only occurred in wild boars in the country.

The pigs that tested positive come from an organic farm in the Spree-Neisse district and a small farm in the Märkisch-Oderland district, the German federal agriculture ministry said on Friday.

Wild boar districts

“This means that the cases of domestic pigs are also located in the districts already affected by ASF in wild boars near the Polish border.

"In addition to the existing restricted zones due to ASF in wild boars (core areas, endangered areas, buffer zones), protection zones and surveillance zones are now being set up around the farms concerned,” it said.

The ministry said there is a particular risk of infection when domestic pigs are kept free-range, especially in core areas and endangered areas.

“The spread of ASF could be limited regionally through intensive disease control by the federal and state governments,” it added.

African swine fever causes no harm to humans and cannot be transmitted to humans through the consumption of pork or through contact with animals.