The Seprona and the Mossos are investigating whether the outbreak of swine fever originated from a laboratory.

The Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Guardia Civil and the Mossos d'Esquadra will investigate the origin of the African swine fever (ASF) virus detected in 13 dead wild boars in the surroundings of the Collserola natural park (Barcelona), after a report indicates the possibility that the strain comes from a laboratory. The Animal Health Research Center (CISA-INIA), a reference laboratory of the European Union located in Valdeolmos (Madrid), has detailed that the genome of the detected virus is similar to that of the pathogen that circulated in Georgia in 2007, a strain that is usually used in experimental studies and in the evaluation of vaccines. The responsible for the outbreak detected in Cerdanyola del Vallès does not coincide, however, with the strains currently circulating in the EU member states. From the report, it is deduced that the origin of the virus might not be in animals or animal products coming from any of the countries where the infection is currently ...