After the first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in mid-August in a pig holding near Montebello in northern Italy, two further outbreaks were confirmed last week in nearby pig holdings. Two farms near the village of Zinasco in the province of Pavia are affected.
The recent outbreaks are particularly concerning for the Italian industry as close to half of all Italian pigs are kept in Lombardy, and there is growing concern about a further spread of the disease.
In the meantime, the regional administration of Lombardy has ordered stricter biosecurity measures for the neighbouring region of Emilia Romagna, which is also affected by ASF. In both regions, the movement of pigs is only allowed after a clinical examination of the herd. In addition, the mortality rate is closely monitored, and a spleen sample is immediately taken from dead pigs for analysis. If a suspicion of disease is confirmed, no pigs may be moved within a radius of 10 km.