ASF Spain: Number of infected wild boar up to 16

The number of wild boar in Spain that have been found infected with African Swine Fever has grown to 16, the Spanish authorities have revealed. All were found relatively close to the original finding place.

The most recently discovered carcasses emerged on December 8 and were made public on Friday, December 12. In comparison to outbreaks elsewhere in Europe, the spread of the virus thus appears to go relatively slow, especially considering the fact that the first cases were reported on November 26.

That the spread could perhaps be stopped in a relatively early stage was also the message of ASF expert, Prof José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno, who was interviewed in Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia. He said, “I’m very confident that the situation can be controlled without it escalating. I’m confident because I know the system in Catalonia well and the people working there, who are very competent, and that’s why I think the spread can be stopped.”

In the meantime, the debate continues as to where the virus came from. Prof Sánchez-Vizcaíno said in his view there is no doubt it escaped from a laboratory. In the same interview he commented, “It is a strain that was not circulating in any of the affected countries, so it must have come from the only remaining source, which is a laboratory. Regarding CReSA, from the outset there was a tendency to think it was the closest place to where it originated, and that’s why most people believe it could have come from there.”

In the meantime, the government of the autonomous community of Catalonia, has started to ease restrictions in the 2nd perimeter around the outbreak zone – which is the area between 6 and 20 km around the outbreak area. The ban on access to natural areas will be lifted within this 2nd perimeter, while remaining in place within a 6 km radius of the epicentre. This means that residents will be able to walk around or do sports or exercises again. That area includes land in about 70 towns, wrote El País – a Spanish newspaper located in Madrid.

Tags: African Swine Fever, Spain, outbreaks, wild boar, Virus