After more than three decades without casesAfrican swine fever (ASF) has reappeared in Spain, and it has done so in a particularly sensitive area: the environment of the Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaIn the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), the detection of the virus in several wild boars has caused the country to lose its disease-free status with the World Organisation for Animal Health and has set off alarm bells in the pig farming sector.
It is a highly contagious viral disease It affects exclusively domestic pigs and wild boar, with mortality rates that in the most aggressive forms can approach 100%. Although it poses no risk to people or food safety, the potential impact on livestock farming, foreign trade, and many rural areas is enormous, so the authorities have activated contingency plans without delay.
First outbreak of African swine fever in Spain since 1994
The Veterinary services of the Generalitat of Catalonia They notified the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) of the appearance of two dead wild boars in the vicinity of the Bellaterra campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​found on November 25 and 26, approximately one kilometer apart. The samples sent to Central Veterinary Laboratory of Algete (Madrid) confirmed the presence of the ASF virus.
These results imply the first detection of the disease in Spain since November 1994The country was officially considered free of African swine fever on that date, after more than thirty years of struggle. A few days after the first findings, more wild boars tested positive in the Collserola mountain rangeconsolidating the focus on this busy peri-urban area.
The Ministry has emphasized that this is a non-zoonotic diseasePeople cannot become infected through contact with sick animals or by consuming pork products. The problem, therefore, lies in animal health and economic impactnot public health.
In parallel, the following have been initiated: epidemiological investigations to try to determine the origin of the virus in these wild animals. Among the hypotheses mentioned is the so-called “via the sandwich": remains of contaminated meat products (for example, a sausage sandwich thrown in the trash) that end up being ingested by wild boars, a mechanism already observed in other European countries.
Infected area, farm confinement and wild boar control
Following the confirmation of the first positive cases, the practical manual of operations to combat ASFThis protocol includes the delimitation of an infected area around the point where the animals were found and the establishment of several concentric areas with different levels of restriction to minimize the spread of the virus.
In the immediate vicinity of the focus, in a 6 kilometer radiusA total lockdown of the natural environment has been decreed: leisure activities, hunting, forestry work, and any presence in rural areas that is not strictly essential are prohibited. [The following appears to be unrelated and possibly a separate document fragment:] They are also installing physical and chemical barriers, as well as traps, to limit the movement of the wild boars as much as possible and try to keep them within the enclosed area.
Beyond that core, a 20-kilometer surveillance zone encompassing some 64 municipalities, including Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Cerdanyola, Terrassa, RubÃ, and Barberà del Vallès. Within this area, controls on pig farming have been tightened, animal movements have been restricted, and passive and active surveillance of wildlife has been reinforced.
Within this 20 km radius, the following have been identified 39 pig farms for production and breeding Subject to operational and commercial restrictions: five farms are located within the first 10 km and 34 between 10 and 20 km. In all of them, limitations on the entry and exit of animals, clinical inspections, epidemiological analyses and thorough reviews of biosecurity measures have been implemented.
Authorities estimate that in the immediately affected area there is a moderate wild boar populationsurrounded by wooded areas, road infrastructure, and residential areas. The goal now is to prevent these animals from moving to areas with higher population density, such as the Collserola Natural Park closer to the city of Barcelona, ​​where a potential outbreak of the virus would significantly complicate control.
Economic and commercial impact on Spanish pork
The reappearance of ASF comes at a time when Spain is the largest pork producer in the European Union and one of the main global players. In 2024 alone, around [number missing] were slaughtered in the country. 54 million pigswhich represents around 24% of community production, and pork accounts for nearly 40% of all national livestock activity.
The sector has a marked export orientationSpain exports pork products to over a hundred countries and generates almost 9.000 million euros per year in exports, a very significant portion of which comes from Catalonia. Pork and pork products account for around 19% of food and beverage exports of this community, with special weight in the central regions (Osona, Bages, Berguedà ), where hundreds of farms and industries are concentrated.
The notification of the outbreak has triggered the preventive blocking of more than one hundred export health certificates These restrictions apply to different pork products and destinations. Countries like Japan and Mexico have opted to suspend pork imports from all of Spain, while other trading partners have agreed to limit restrictions to the affected area.
China, the main buyer of Spanish pork in 2024, had signed an agreement with Spain on November 12. regionalization protocol for African swine fever. Thanks to this agreement, Beijing has decided to ban only imports from the province of Barcelona, ​​instead of imposing a total blockade. However, this measure is still a considerable blow to the local industry, and reports have indicated that suspension of the purchase of certain specific items, such as calibration guts.
The United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and other markets have also shown a willingness to implement regionalization, although in the British case a longer temporary pause The situation is being assessed. The Ministry of Agriculture acknowledges that, in the most demanding partner countries, restrictions could continue for several months, despite diplomatic efforts to gradually restore access.
Enhanced biosecurity and the role of the sector and hunting
African swine fever (ASF) is listed in the European Union as category A diseasewhich implies the obligation to adopt strict measures for its rapid containment and eradication in the affected areas. The Ministry of Agriculture has made an explicit appeal to the sector to take extreme biosecurity measures both in domestic pig farms and in the handling of wild boars and in the transport of animals.
The recommendations include the strict access control to farmsThe improvement and maintenance of perimeter fencing, thorough cleaning and disinfection of vehicles and equipment, proper management of by-products, and limiting external visits are all crucial measures. It is emphasized that any clinical suspicion, in both pigs and wild boar, must be reported. contact immediately to the official veterinary services of the autonomous communities.
Sectoral organizations such as the Interprofessional Association of White-Coat Pigs have highlighted that the rapid detection of cases This demonstrates the high level of health surveillance in Spain and the coordination between administrations. At the same time, agricultural associations have been demanding for years a greater control of wildlife, pointing to the wild boar as a reservoir of multiple diseases and stressing that its overabundance increases the risk of transmission.
La Spanish Federation of Caza He reminded hunters of the need to scrupulously apply biosecurity measures in the handling of game, the management of hunting by-products, and the disinfection of equipment and vehicles, preventing the movement of biological remains outside of authorized areas. The hunting community considers itself an important part of the early detection and surveillance of the disease in wild boar populations.
At the institutional level, the Ministry has convened the Veterinary Health Alert Network Committee (RASVE) and has reported the outbreak to both the European Union and the World Organisation for Animal Health. Authorities insist that, despite the seriousness of the incident, a decisive and swift action It can help control the outbreak, as has already been shown in cases of eradication in countries such as Belgium, Sweden or the Czech Republic after isolated incursions of the virus.
What is African swine fever and how is it transmitted?
African swine fever is a highly virulent hemorrhagic virus which affects domestic pigs and wild boar. It presents several clinical forms (hyperacute, acute, subacute and chronic), but in its most aggressive version it causes high fever, respiratory problems, internal bleeding and death within six to twenty days in most of the affected animals.
Does not exist commercial vaccine or specific treatmentTherefore, the only effective tool is prevention and strict movement control. When the virus enters a farm, the standard protocol is the sanitary slaughter of all infected animals or those in contact with the virus, intensive disinfection, and the creation of protection and surveillance zones with strict restrictions on the movement of pigs and products.
Transmission can occur both by direct contact between infected swine as well as indirectly through contaminated materials, vehicles, clothing, footwear, tools, feed, or food scraps. In certain regions, some tick species also act as vectors, maintaining the virus in sylvatic cycles.
One of the characteristics that most worries experts is the environmental resistance of the virusIt can remain viable for long periods in fresh or frozen meat, cured or smoked products, refrigerated blood, and even in wild boar carcasses in cold climates. This persistence means that a simple instance of poorly managed waste or uncontrolled movement of products can trigger an outbreak in a previously free country.
Globally, ASF is endemic in large areas of Sub-Saharan AfricaHowever, since 2007 it has expanded rapidly across Eurasia after its introduction in Georgia and subsequent spread to Russia, China, and Eastern Europe. In the European Union, it is currently present in wild boar populations and, in some cases, in domestic pig farms. 13 Member States, including Germany, Italy, Poland or Romania.
Situation in Europe and background in Spain
In the EU, African swine fever was introduced in 2014 through the Baltic countries and Poland, originating from Russia. Since then, it has spread to Italy, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and CroatiaSome of these countries maintain the virus mainly in wild boars, while others have also suffered outbreaks in commercial farms.
Despite this situation, several states have managed eradicate the disease after isolated incursions applying drastic control and surveillance measures. This is the case of Belgium, Sweden, and the Czech Republic itselfwho managed to regain their status as free people after years of work in forest areas, intense searches for bodies and strong restrictions on movement in affected areas.
Spain knows all too well the severity of this disease. The virus arrived on the Iberian Peninsula in the late 1950s, after its initial introduction in Portugal in 1957The first Spanish case was reported in 1960. Definitive eradication was not achieved until the mid-nineties, after more than three decades of effort with measures of slaughter, movement control and improvement of animal health.
In recent years, various scientific teams had warned of increasing risk of reintroduction due to the increase in cases in Eastern Europe and the strong expansion of wild boar populations in Spain. Researchers from the Research Institute of Hunting Resources even prepared a risk map of the entry of ASF into the country, in which the Barcelona area and its surroundings appeared marked as a particularly sensitive point, something that recent events have confirmed.
Globally, the World Organisation for Animal Health estimates that, since January 2022, ASF has caused the death of more than two million pigs in 69 countries and territories. Europe is among the worst affected regions in terms of the number of outbreaks and animals culled, with cumulative losses well over one million swine.
Wild boar overpopulation and health risk
One of the factors that most worries experts is the overabundance of wild boars in much of Spain. It is estimated that in the last decade the number of specimens has practically doubled, reaching around two million. This high density generates agricultural conflicts, traffic accidents, and also increases the risk of disease spread.
The PPA is considered a density-dependent diseaseIn other words, the greater the concentration of animals in a territory, the easier it is for the virus to persist and spread from one individual to another, especially if there are abundant carcasses or remains that can be consumed by other wild boars.
Wild boar are not only a concern because of African swine fever. Their behavior and adaptability make them a reservoir of multiple pathogens of veterinary interest, such as tuberculosis, Aujeszky's disease, or even zoonotic agents that can affect humans. That is why many agricultural and scientific organizations have long been calling for a more active management of wildlife and greater population control.
In the current context, the regional authorities have opted to confine the wild boars The wooded area where the positive cases were located has been fenced off and access points closed to prevent the outbreak from spreading to areas with an even higher density of animals. In addition, a search operation for carcasses has been launched, involving rural agents, police forces, and veterinary services.
Citizen cooperation is also key: people are asked not to approach or touch. dead animals or animals with symptoms and notify the emergency services (phone 112) if you find a dead wild boar in the wild, avoiding any direct or indirect contact with the body.
No risk to people, but with lasting effects on the sector
Health authorities and the pork sector itself insist on sending a message of to reassure the population: African swine fever It is not transmitted to humans It is not transmitted through contact with infected animals or by consuming pork or pork products. It is not a zoonosis and does not pose a food safety problem.
Consumption pork from controlled carcasses It is considered completely safe, and supply to Spanish markets is guaranteed. The concern, therefore, focuses on the health of pig herds, the situation of farms near the affected area, and the commercial and economic impact associated with export restrictions.
Animal health experts remind us that, once an outbreak in wild boar is declared, the Mandatory surveillance lasts at least 6 and 12 monthsTherefore, the return to normality may take some time. The Minister of Agriculture himself has pointed out that the officially free country label African swine fever will not recover, at best, for a year.
In the event that the disease were to enter a domestic pig farm, the recovery time for the activity would also be long: after slaughter and disinfection, the replacement of animals can be considered after about six weeks, but always subject to continuous analysis that certify the absence of the virus.
Meanwhile, both the central government and the Catalan government insist on the need to prudence, coordination and shared responsibilityThey assure that Catalan farms have high standards of modernization and safety, and they are confident that a firm and well-organized response will allow this episode to remain an isolated incident, preventing the virus from jumping to domestic livestock and minimizing the long-term repercussions for one of the pillars of the Spanish agri-food economy.
The reappearance of African swine fever has put Spain back on the European animal health risk map at a crucial time for its pig farming sector, and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of biosecurity, wildlife management and international cooperationWhat happens in the coming months, from controlling the outbreak in Collserola to the recovery of foreign markets, will mark the immediate future of a production model that had established itself as a global benchmark.
