Spain’s Central Veterinary Laboratory has confirned a further 10 cases of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar, taking the total, so far, to 26 wild boar.
All were found in a small area in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès, close to the original cases. In addition, more than 200 animals found dead in the wild or along roads and railway lines in the infected area and its surroundings have tested negative.
This was the result of intensive fieldwork carried out by the Catalan Government’s Rural Agents Corps, in collaboration with the military, Police and the Nature Protection Service.
The Catalan government declared a state of emergency, with various restrictions relating to people and animals in place within a 6km contamination zone and a wider 20km infected area.
As well as the ongoing active search for and removal of wild boar carcases, restrictions within the zone include a ban on hunting to prevent the movement of wild boar into disease-free zones and restricting non-essential activities by members of the public, while there have concerted efforts to disinfect vehicles and personnel.
The authorities have also reinforced passive surveillance and biosecurity measures on pig farms, and conducted official visits to these farms to checks pigs and test for ASF. There have been no positive cases, so far.