The outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) affecting Catalonia, and specifically the province of Barcelona, remains under control on Monday, December 1.
The 39 pig farms located in the surveillance radius of the ASF outbreak detected in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona) have given negative results in the analysis, which confirms that the disease continues to be limited exclusively to wildlife.
At the same time, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) has deployed since Sunday specialists in biological contamination to support the containment of the outbreak, where at least eight new wild boar carcasses have been found.
As reported by the Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació de la Generalitat, veterinary teams and the Grup de Sanejament Porcí (GSP) have completed in the last 48 hours clinical inspections and sampling in all farms located within the safety radius of 6 kilometers.
“We confirm that there are only positives in wild boars and the virus has not reached the farms,” sources from the Govern told El Periódico.
Access restrictions and security zones due to African swine fever
Since last November 28, urgent restriction measures divided into two perimeters have been active.
The authorities insist that African Swine Fever does not affect people, although it represents a serious risk for animal health.
The Department has urged municipalities and the public to be extremely biosecure: it is forbidden to feed wild boars, it is recommended to place cat feeding troughs in elevated areas and to close picnic areas.
The first perimeter, a 6 km zone, affects 12 municipalities, including Sabadell, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Polinyà, Santa Perpètua de la Mogoda, Montcada i Reixac, Ripollet, Barberà del Vallès, Badia del Vallès, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Terrassa and Rubí. It has been decreed the total closure of access to the natural environment, the suspension of hunting and forest works, and the prohibition of activities in rural areas.
In the second, of 20 kilometers, there are 64 municipalities with limitations on leisure activities and biodiversity.
The total suspension of leisure activities is maintained throughout the Collserola Park, whose access is restricted except for residents.
In case of finding a dead wild boar, citizens are requested not to handle the animal and to contact immediately the emergency telephone 112.
Military reinforcement and finding of new wild boar carcasses
To ensure the containment of the virus, the Government has requested and obtained the support of the Hunting Control Unit of the UME. This Sunday have already been deployed on the ground specialists in biological contamination that are added to the emergency device.
The situation remains in the health alert phase. Although two positive wild boars have been officially confirmed and four others are pending validation by the Ministry’s reference laboratory, at least eight more dead wild boars have been found this Sunday in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès. The carcasses are being analyzed by the CReSA (Animal Health Research Center).
The contingency operation, described by the conseller Òscar Ordeig as “fast, coordinated and transparent”, also includes Rural Agents, Mossos d’Esquadra, Civil Protection, ADF volunteers, Guardia Urbana and SEPRONA of the Guardia Civil.