African Swine Fever Returns to Spain After Over Three Decades with Cases in Catalonia
After more than 30 years, African swine fever has re-emerged in Spain with cases detected in wild boars in Catalonia, prompting urgent containment and export measures to protect the key pork industry.
- • First detection of African swine fever in Spain since 1994 after two wild boars tested positive in Bellaterra, Barcelona.
- • A 20-kilometer containment zone has been established with hunting bans and carcass removal to limit spread.
- • Spain is the largest pork producer in the EU and third worldwide, making the outbreak economically significant.
- • Exports of pork to countries outside the EU are suspended by Catalonia, affecting key trade partners like China.
Key details
Spain has confirmed the detection of African swine fever (ASF) after more than 30 years of absence, with two wild boars found dead and testing positive in Bellaterra, Barcelona, on November 26, 2025. This marks the first occurrence of ASF in the country since 1994, confirmed by the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Algete and reported by Catalonia's veterinary authorities to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
ASF is a highly contagious disease affecting pigs with near 100% mortality, though it does not pose any risk to humans, as confirmed by veterinary experts and industry representatives. Since the virus's introduction to the EU in 2014, it has impacted wild boar populations and, in some cases, domestic pig farms in 13 EU countries, including Italy, Germany, Poland, and Spain's neighboring countries.
In response, Spanish authorities have swiftly activated a comprehensive control plan that includes delimiting a 20-kilometer containment zone around the infected area in Bellaterra. Measures also involve an active search and controlled removal of wild boar carcasses, a temporary ban on hunting to limit the animals' movement, restrictions on non-essential activities in the zone, and reinforced biosecurity protocols on pig farms and wild boar transport. The Generalitat of Catalonia has suspended exports of pork products to countries outside the European Union.
Spain is Europe's largest pork producer and the world's third largest, accounting for 24% of EU pork production in 2024 with 54 million pigs slaughtered. The outbreak presents a major setback, particularly given that China represented Spain's primary export market last year, and Spain had recently signed a protocol with China to permit exports from ASF-free areas.
Agriculture Minister Òscar Ordeig emphasized that to date, no infection has been detected in domestic pig farms in Catalonia, which he described as the "safest farms". The Ministry of Agriculture, led by Luis Planas, urges heightened vigilance and preventive measures to control and eradicate the disease rapidly. Investigations into the source of the infection continue. Spain has notified both the European Union and the World Organization for Animal Health, and a Veterinary Health Alert Network meeting has been convened to coordinate efforts.
Spanish authorities face an urgent challenge to contain ASF to protect the nation's vital pork industry and prevent wider regional spread while managing the significant economic implications of the outbreak.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.