The Aujeszky virus was detected in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg. An infection is always fatal for dogs. This is how you protect your dog from the dangerous pathogen.
The Aujeszky virus, which is fatal for dogs and cats, was found in Engelskirchen (Oberbergischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia). As the district administrator of the Oberberg district announced, the virus was detected in a wild boar that had been killed.
The virus, also known as the wild boar virus, is repeatedly detected in Germany. At the beginning of the year, an increasing number of cases were detected in the Main-Tauber district in Baden-Württemberg.
According to the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, a total of 20 of the 44 urban and rural districts in Baden-Württemberg were affected by the Aujeszky virus between 2020 and 2023.
Aujeszky’s disease: This is the wild boar virus
Aujeszky’s disease is a virus-related disease of pigs or wild boars. According to the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, the pathogen can enter pig herds through contact with infected pigs, contaminated objects and food.
Dog owners are advised to keep their dogs on a leash to prevent contact with the wild boar virus. Photo: dpa/Christophe Gateau
The disease cannot be controlled or treated in wild boars. The disease often progresses unnoticed and the vast majority of wild boars survive an infection. In wild boars, Aujeszky’s disease is not considered an animal disease and is therefore not combated by the authorities.
Aujeszky virus: Deadly danger to dogs and cats
While the virus is not dangerous for humans, an infection is always fatal for dogs and cats, according to the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety. The animals can therefore become infected primarily through contact with infected wild boars.
An infection is indicated by acute itching, which is a characteristic symptom of the disease. The infection leads to death for dogs and cats within a few hours to days.
Aujeszky’s disease: How to protect your dog from infection
The Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety and the District Administrator of the Oberbergischer Kreis recommend these measures:
- Keep dogs on a leash in forests
- Prevent dogs from coming into contact with wild boars or wild boar carcasses
- Do not feed wild boar meat raw to dogs
Due to the deadly danger to dogs, the animals should be protected from possible sources of danger.
