At the beginning of August 2026, the African swine fever situation remains challenging in several parts of the world, from South and Southeast Asia to Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
In addition to direct livestock losses, the long-term economic consequences of ASF are becoming increasingly evident. Farms face the costs of rebuilding herds, additional veterinary requirements, rising production costs and pressure from imported products.
Sri Lanka Launches Insurance Scheme Following Major Losses
The Sri Lankan government is introducing a new insurance scheme designed to support the recovery of the pig sector following severe losses caused by ASF.
The programme was launched by an insurance board under the Ministry of Agriculture following a decision by a presidential task force. Its aim is to protect pig farmers’ incomes and reduce the financial impact of animal losses.
The current focus is on insuring breeding pigs between six months and 4.5 years of age. The policy provides compensation for animals lost due to accidents or diseases, including ASF.
The maximum payout is LKR 200,000, or around $600, per animal.
ASF virus was first detected in the country in October 2024. During the first month alone, national veterinary authorities reported 138 outbreaks in domestic pigs to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), directly affecting nearly 28,000 animals.
In 2025, local media reported that around 2,500 farms had been affected by the disease, while actual mortality may have been higher than officially recorded.
According to the latest data submitted to WOAH for the second half of last year, around 300 additional domestic pigs died from ASF in nine provinces. Circulation of the virus among wild pigs is also suspected.
ASF Spreads Again in the Philippines
In the Philippines, active ASF outbreaks had been reported in 11 regions as of 24 July.
According to the country’s Bureau of Animal Industry, the virus spread to four additional regions within two weeks. In several areas of Luzon and the Visayas, the disease re-emerged after a brief absence.
At that time, the largest numbers of communities with confirmed cases were in the Negros Island Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon.
After these data were released, new cases were confirmed in three additional communities in Negros Oriental Province. More than 90 pigs had to be culled, while other animals died from the disease.
Bulgaria Reports First Outbreak in Domestic Pigs Since 2024
Bulgaria has also confirmed a new ASF outbreak in domestic pigs.
The disease was detected in a herd of 42 pigs in Varna Province in the east of the country. All animals died.
The farm bred Eastern Balkan pigs and was located in a forested area. Despite being fenced, it is suspected that the virus may have been transmitted to the domestic pigs from the wild population.
Bulgaria has been battling ASF in wild boar since 2018, but this was the first outbreak in domestic pigs reported to WOAH since March 2024.
New cases in domestic pigs have also recently been reported in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.
Romania reported 43 additional outbreaks. One occurred at a farm with 249 pigs in Cluj County, while most of the others affected small backyard holdings.
In Moldova, three new outbreaks were detected in small private herds in the central and southern parts of the country.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the two most recent cases were recorded in backyard holdings in the same municipality in Republika Srpska.
In Ukraine, ASF was confirmed following testing of a pig carcass in Odesa Region, approximately 10 km from the border with Moldova.
Nearly 600 Outbreaks in Domestic Pigs Recorded in Europe
According to the European Commission’s Animal Disease Information System, six countries reported 74 new ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs between 30 July and 5 August alone.
Romania accounted for the largest number, with 41 outbreaks. Serbia reported 19, Croatia nine, Moldova and Ukraine two each, and Bosnia and Herzegovina one.
Since the beginning of 2026, a total of 579 ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs have been recorded in 11 countries across the region.
By comparison, the European Commission recorded 940 such outbreaks in 13 countries during the whole of 2025.
The highest number of cases in 2026 has so far been reported in Romania, with 210 outbreaks, followed by Serbia with 194 and Croatia with 130.
More Than 6,000 Cases Recorded in Wild Boar
The situation in wildlife remains equally challenging.
As of 6 August, the European Commission’s system had recorded 6,151 ASF outbreaks in wild boar across 18 European countries.
By comparison, 11,150 cases were recorded in 19 countries during the whole of 2025.
In just one recent week, another 106 cases in wild boar were reported by Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
Since the beginning of the year, Poland has recorded the highest number of cases, with 1,553, followed by Italy with 1,011 and Lithuania with 846.
Finland became the latest European country to detect ASF virus for the first time. At the end of July, three wild boar carcasses tested positive.
The EU Reference Laboratory for ASF confirmed the results. Genetic sequencing showed that the virus belongs to genotype II and genetic group 3. This group was first detected in Ukraine in 2012 and has spread across the Baltic states and other parts of Europe since 2014.
However, genetic studies have not yet established the exact route by which the virus entered Finland.
In Germany, new cases in wild boar in Brandenburg have also led to the expansion of restricted zones.
ASF Remains a Challenge in Africa
New outbreaks continue to be reported on the African continent as well.
South Africa confirmed two additional cases in domestic pigs in Gauteng Province. They are part of a prolonged series of outbreaks that began in 2019.
A total of 235 outbreaks have been recorded within this series, affecting nearly 137,000 pigs.
In Benin, ASF was detected in 290 wild pigs in four regions during the second half of 2025.
During the same period, Togo reported six new outbreaks in domestic pigs involving 768 animals.
In Mali, the disease affected 45 domestic pigs in two regions in the south-west of the country during the first half of 2026.
Number of Pig Farmers in the Dominican Republic Has Halved
The Dominican Republic provides a particularly striking example of the long-term consequences of ASF.
According to local media, the number of pig farmers in the country has fallen by around half in recent years.
ASF returned to the country in April 2021 after a 40-year absence. By the end of 2024, the Dominican Republic had reported more than 300 outbreaks to WOAH.
However, even farms that have managed to remain in business continue to face the consequences of the crisis.
Before beginning a new production cycle, animals must test negative for ASF. At the same time, farmers are under pressure from high feed costs and low pork prices.
Another factor has been increased imports intended to ensure sufficient domestic supply and keep prices under control. While this helps maintain affordable pork for consumers, it also means lower margins for local producers.
As a result, ASF remains not only a veterinary challenge for the global pig sector, but also a long-term economic problem. Even after outbreaks are brought under control, rebuilding herds and restoring farmers’ incomes can take years. The experiences of Sri Lanka and the Dominican Republic show that without financial support, insurance and effective disease control, returning producers to stable operations remains difficult.
PigUA.info, based on materials from feedstrategy.com