The cases were confirmed by the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) on Thursday. Until now, ASF had only been found in wild pigs in Germany.

The pigs that tested positive came from an organic farm in the Spree-Neisse district and a small-scale farm in the Maerkisch-Oderland district – close to the Polish border in districts already affected by ASF in wild pigs.

Protection zones and surveillance zones will be set up around the affected farms.

ASF is not dangerous for humans and cannot be transmitted to humans through the consumption of pork or contact with animals.

It is a severe viral infection that exclusively affects pigs – both wild and domestic – and is usually fatal for them.

Originating in Africa, ASF has spread to parts of Asia and Europe in recent years.

The virus is endemic in Africa, where its hosts – warthogs, bush pigs and ticks – are largely unaffected.

Last year, countries including Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore banned German pork imports after a case of ASF was confirmed in Germany.

China has been battling its own African swine fever outbreak since late 2018, which has led to the deaths of over 100 million animals, driving up the price of pork and inflation rates in the country.