The virus was detected on a pig farm in the Yuen Long area in the western part of the New Territories. Out of 2,374 pigs kept on the farm, four animals died. Following suspicion of ASF, the authorities immediately intensified epizootic surveillance and suspended the movement of pigs in the area. Initial testing focused on the only farm within a 3-kilometre radius of the outbreak site. At the time of publication, a decision on a culling strategy had not yet been taken.
The previous ASF outbreak among domestic pigs in Hong Kong was officially declared resolved in mid-March this year. That episode directly affected around 6,000 pigs on three farms, also located in the Yuen Long area.
Situation in Asia: South Korea and India
In South Korea, a further 14 wild boar tested positive for ASF over the past week. As before, most new cases were recorded in the northeastern province of Gangwon. The total number of confirmed ASF cases in wild boar since 2019 has reached 4,309. In addition, the authorities have confirmed another outbreak in domestic pigs to WOAH — the seventh since the start of 2025. This outbreak occurred about a month ago on a farm with around 450 animals in South Chungcheong province.
In India, authorities in the state of Assam are preparing to gradually lift restrictions on the trade of pigs and pork. One month ago, sales were banned following a series of ASF outbreaks. Trade is expected to resume soon in seven affected districts, a move that should revitalise the local economy and pork supply chains. At the same time, details of compensation for owners of pigs culled as part of disease control measures have been announced.
Europe: new outbreaks in domestic pigs and wild boar
In Europe, new ASF outbreaks in pigs were reported over the past week by Moldova, Romania and Serbia. In Romania, three of the five latest outbreaks involved backyard herds with between one and 15 pigs, one affected a farm with 1,617 animals, and two cases involved infected carcasses found in public areas. The outbreaks were spread across four counties, including Mehedinți in the southwest of the country, where no ASF cases in domestic pigs had been reported since May.
In Serbia, both recent outbreaks occurred in small non-commercial herds in the Bor district in eastern Serbia, close to the borders with Bulgaria and Romania. In Moldova, ASF was confirmed in two backyard herds — one in the northern district of Edineț and the other near the capital, Chișinău.
Between 11 and 17 December, four countries in the region reported new ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs to the European Commission. In total, 13 countries have registered 923 ASF outbreaks in this category in 2025 so far. Romania accounts for the highest number (467), followed by Serbia (230), Croatia (53), Moldova (52) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (48). For comparison, 764 pig herds were affected across 16 countries during the whole of 2024.
Sharp rise in wild boar cases
As of 17 December, 19 European countries had confirmed 10,606 ASF cases in wild boar in 2025. Over the previous week alone, 378 additional cases were reported in 16 countries. The largest increases were recorded in Bulgaria (148) and Poland (78). Significant rises were also noted in Hungary, Italy and Lithuania, while smaller but steady increases were reported in Germany, the Baltic states, the Balkans and Spain.
Poland continues to lead in terms of wild boar cases this year, with 3,230 confirmed infections. It is followed by Germany (1,982), Latvia (1,200), Bulgaria (894), Hungary (797), Lithuania (727) and Italy (637). In Spain, the latest notification to WOAH confirms 26 ASF cases in wild boar in a small area of Catalonia, with no cases detected in domestic pigs.
Positive examples of ASF control
Against this backdrop, some countries have reported successful containment of the disease. Veterinary authorities in the Czech Republic and Italy have informed WOAH that the ASF situation has been at least partially resolved.
In the Czech Republic, the virus was detected in the remains of a wild boar carcass believed to have died in August 2024. No further cases have been detected since, and the country is currently considered free of ASF.
In Italy, authorities have declared ASF eliminated in the southern region of Calabria, where no new cases have been detected since a single wild boar tested positive in April 2025. However, ASF continues to circulate in other parts of the country. Since January 2022, a total of 3,195 cases in wild boar have been confirmed nationwide, including 55 new cases over the past three weeks in northern and north-western regions.
Overall, the global ASF situation remains uneven. While new outbreaks and rising numbers of cases in wild boar continue to be reported, there are also examples of effective control and vaccination. Nevertheless, the return of the virus to regions such as Hong Kong underlines that ASF remains an ongoing threat requiring continuous international surveillance and coordination.
PigUA.info based on materials from feedstrategy.com