Styrian hunters

Swine fever: Styrian hunters arm themselves

African swine fever could become a danger for domestic wild boars.

(Bild: Jakub Mrocek)

Styria has still been spared, but the epidemic is getting closer and closer. In order to prepare for a possible outbreak of African swine fever, hunters, the province and the police are now training their own hunting dogs - a cross-border exercise is already planned for the beginning of July.

Hardly any other disease is more feared by hunters: African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease that almost always leads to death. If even one animal becomes infected, an entire population of wild boar is at risk. "Pigs live in social groups," says State Hunting Master Franz Mayr-Melnhof Saurau, explaining the risk of rapid spread. Even though Styria has been spared so far, the disease from Eastern Europe is getting closer and closer.

If the disease breaks out, entire restricted areas may be necessary - here in Germany.

(Bild: APA/dpa/dpaweb)

This is precisely why the Styrian hunting community is now arming itself against swine fever. "We take our responsibility for comprehensive prevention seriously," says Styrian Agriculture Minister Simone Schmiedtbauer (ÖVP). Among other things, efforts are being made to keep the Styrian wild boar population small - last year alone, around 2,800 of a total of almost 10,000 animals were shot in Styria. Particular care is taken with carcasses, as they would still be infectious weeks later if they fell ill: "Every dead pig is reported, transported away and examined," explains Mayr-Melnhof Saurau.

Provincial police director Gerald Ortner, police dog handler Andre Jeitler, provincial master hunter Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), provincial councillor Simone Schmiedtbauer (ÖVP), dog handler Florian Gutmann and chief inspector Alexander Homola (from left) at the presentation of the new measures.

(Bild: Land Steiermark)

Above all, however, dogs are now being used. Under the name "Gemeinsam.Sicher", the state, police and hunters are training 30 hunting dogs specifically for African swine fever. In an emergency, they can sniff out affected animals and help to contain the crisis area. "By using trained hunting dogs, the spread of the disease can be detected and contained at an early stage," explains Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). Drones with thermal imaging cameras would also be used in the event of an outbreak, as pigs are nocturnal. At the beginning of July, a two-day epidemic exercise will take place in which Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria and Slovenia will participate.

As part of prevention measures, fences were erected in Denmark and over 150 animals were shot.

(Bild: AP)

"This is a very serious matter, especially for pig farmers in Styria," emphasizes Mayr-Melnhof Saurau. In an emergency, all animals in the affected area must be shot. Swine flu can affect wild boar as well as domestic pigs, as cases in neighboring Hungary have already shown. "However, transmission to humans is not possible. Even infected food would not be harmful to humans," says the state master hunter, giving the all-clear.

However, these same foods could introduce the disease. Mayr-Melnhof Saurau says that the disease could come to Austria via pig products or through the movement of people. He therefore appeals for urgent attention to be paid to hygiene measures.