AT least 50 wild boars have been found dead near Barcelona amid mounting fears that Spain’s swine flu outbreak could spread beyond the country’s borders.
Investigators discovered the dead animals while combing through the Collserola quarantine zone, west of the city, just days after nine boars in the area first tested positive for African swine fever (ASF).
Oscar Ordeig, Catalonia’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, said that several of the 50 dead animals had tested negative for ASF – but results for the others are still pending. So far, the confirmed number of infected boars remains at nine.
The discovery comes as roughly 40 countries – including the United States, Japan, Mexico and the Philippines – have imposed bans on pork imports from Spain, dealing a heavy blow to a sector that generated nearly €9 billion in exports last year.
Though all confirmed ASF cases have so far been detected within a 20-kilometre radius around Collserola, the EU this morning expanded the quarantine area to include 91 municipalities across Catalunya.
Ordeig announced that the regional government would cull all wild boars within the outer perimeter of the quarantine zone to prevent further spread of the disease.
Authorities have launched a large operation involving forest agents, police, army units, and civil-protection teams to sweep the quarantine zone in search of infected animals.
All 39 commercial pig farms within the 20-kilometre surveillance radius have been inspected by authorities – and so far, none have shown signs of infection.
While the disease does not affect humans, ASF has a mortality rate of 100 % for infected pigs and wild boars.
The appearance of a single infected animal in a pig farm would prompt the immediate culling of the entire herd.
The government has announced a financial aid plan worth €10million, potentially expandable up to €20 million, to support farmers and rural businesses affected by the crisis.
The sharp drop in demand – along with import bans from key markets – threatens to inflict severe economic damage on Spain’s pork industry, a sector long regarded as one of the country’s agricultural pillars.
Spain is the leading pork exporter in the European Union and the second-largest in the world, with exports of more than 2.5 million tonnes in 2024.
Pork accounts for the vast majority of Spanish meat exports – around 85% – and is a vital contributor to the country’s agricultural trade balance.
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