Italy braces itself after AVP in Lombardy

African swine fever (ASF) continues to have a grip on the European pig farming industry. Although the Balkans in particular are still suffering from the virus, ASF remains a significant risk in Poland and recently also in Italy. The authorities in that second country in particular are starting to worry. 

The disease seems to be spreading rapidly in recent months. In the months May to July, infections were found at no fewer than 1.043 companies. The damage was greatest in the Balkans. In Serbia, most companies were affected. In the Eastern European country, 275 companies appeared to be affected by infections. This was followed by Bosnia with 257 affected companies, Romania with 255 infected companies and Croatia, where infections were detected at 208 companies. In total, no less than 95% of all infected companies are located in Eastern European countries. The infections mainly occurred among small pig farmers with fewer than 150 animals. Hygiene at these companies often leaves much to be desired.  

This does not mean that the risk for other regions remains limited. Among wild boar populations, which are often the cause of infections in companies, we see outbreaks of infection emerging mainly in other regions. In total, infections were found in 2.303 wild boars. The virus is spreading rapidly, especially in Poland. In the Eastern European country, 1.011 animals were found with ASF. Italy follows next with 318 infections. The third most affected country is Latvia with 234 infections, followed by Germany and Slovakia with 192 and 186 infected animals.

Italy is starting to worry
Recently, the high infection rate among wild populations in Italy led to new infections at two pig farms. The outbreaks took place in Lombardy, 16 kilometers from the previous source of infection. Remarkably, infections in Northern Italy did not occur for a long time. Although infections among wild boars are moving south via northern Italy, infections have so far only been found at pig farms in Lazio (near Rome) and Calabria (foot of the boot).

There is currently fear that the outbreak is growing. According to local authorities, the cases of swine fever were detected late. This is a cause for concern, as a substantial part of the Italian pig sector is located in this area. To prevent rapid spread, a ban on pig transports within a radius of 10 kilometers around infected pig farms has been introduced. In addition, the rest of Lombardy is tested for the virus before pigs are allowed to be transported.

Brussels is reaching for its wallet
Combating APV still seems to be an important issue in the European Union. The motivation for this is two-sided. On the one hand, Brussels sees APV as a major risk for the European pig sector. On the other hand, there are concerns about European ecosystems. The European Commission indicates that it has already released €275 million to combat the disease. For the time being, the EU does not appear to be planning to shift gears. To tackle the outbreak of infection, Europe is particularly committed to combating the disease in wild boar populations.