The Basque Government calls for strengthening biosecurity after detecting cases of swine plague in Catalonia

Following thedetection of several cases of swine pests in the province of Barcelona , the Basque Government has sent a message of tranquillity to the population. The Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries recalls that  poses no risk to human health, either by contact with pork or by consumption.

However, the Government has called on all actors involved in the pig sector in the Basque Country to exercise due diligence, prudence and vigilance. Strengthening the cooperation and biosecurity of the entire sector is essential to prevent the spread of the virus. It has also urged people engaged in hunting to comply with these biosafety measures.

Counsellor Amaia Barredo has stressed that "it is essential to strengthen biosafety measures on all pig farms in the Basque Country. Animal health and food safety depend on the collective and responsible response of all actors."

In particular, they urge producers, carriers, distributors and marketers to strictly comply with established protocols. 

Six boars die in Barcelona

In the last two days, six bodies of wild boars have appeared in Barcelona, affected by the plague of African pigs, which has not been seen in the Spanish state since 1994. They have already fenced 20 kilometres in the area where the affected animals have appeared, where there are 39 farms.

What's pork plague?

The African swine plague is a very worrying viral disease for the pig sector, which is highly contagious among the European boar, the African fakokero and the pigs of livestock, but it does not affect humans and is not contaminated even by the consumption of pork products.