Two new ASF cases in wild boar have been confirmed in Spain outside the primary outbreak zone north of Barcelona, according to the Catalan regional authorities. The newly infected animals were found near the towns of El Papiol and Molins de Rei within the Barcelona metropolitan area. Officials noted that there are no pig farms in these locations.
In response, regional authorities have imposed additional restrictions on the movement of people and animals and reinforced sanitary measures. African swine fever is not harmful to humans but spreads rapidly among pigs and wild boar. Active cases often lead to trade restrictions on pork imports from affected regions.
Spain is the largest pork producer in the European Union, accounting for about a quarter of the bloc’s total production. Annual exports of Spanish pork are worth around €3.5 billion.
The initial outbreak — the country’s first since 1994 — was detected in the Collserola hills north of Barcelona and did not affect pig farms. According to Catalonia’s agriculture chief, Oscar Ordeig, a southward spread was an expected scenario due to wild boar movements.
As these are considered secondary cases, the new measures will apply only to the two municipalities concerned. They include enhanced disinfection, collection and disposal of wild boar carcasses, drone-assisted searches and assessment of wild boar population densities in the risk area.
In total, 155 infected wild boar have been found in the Barcelona area, with 13 cases confirmed in recent days. Veterinary services continue active monitoring to contain further spread of the disease.
PigUA.info, based on materials from thepigsite.com