September 22, 2023

Italy culls nearly 34,000 swine to halt African swine fever spread

Italian authorities have culled nearly 34,000 swine across 12 farms in Lombardy, a northern Italian region, in response to the growing threat of African swine fever (ASF), Fox News reported.

Lombardy, with the highest number of bred swine in Italy, is at the forefront of efforts to combat the ASF outbreak, which appears to be intensifying after it was first detected in Italy in 2022.

A spokesperson for the Lombardy regional government revealed that approximately half of Italy's total swine population, around 5 million out of 10 million swine, is concentrated in Lombardy. The government's primary objective is to stop this outbreak to prevent it from endangering the entire Italian sector's supply chain. Although there are concerns about further spread, the situation appears to be under control at present.

ASF poses no threat to humans but is often fatal to pigs, leading to significant financial losses for farmers. This disease initially emerged in Africa and subsequently spread to Europe and Asia, causing substantial pig mortality worldwide.

Francesco Feliziani, the head of the National Centre for Swine Flu, noted that since 2022, ASD in Italy has predominantly affected wild boars, with only a few isolated cases reported in domestic swine.

-      Fox News