Veterinarians consider that the control and surveillance protocols implemented after the detection of ASF in wild boars in Barcelona are appropriate.

The Veterinary Collegiate Organization (OCV) and the National Association of Swine Veterinarians (ANAVEPOR) consider that the control and surveillance protocols implemented in the province of Barcelona since last Thursday, following the appearance of African swine fever in several wild boars, are appropriate to contain the outbreak. They also point out the need to wait to know the exact origin of the virus, which is already being investigated, and the influence of wildlife acting as a reservoir of diseases. Veterinarians recall that in most European countries where ASF has arrived in recent years, such as Germany, Sweden, or Italy, it has been through the wild boar present in peri-urban areas where it ingests human food waste, as may have happened in this case. "This fact is not accidental, because it reflects the important role of wildlife, with species that continue to increase their population like the wild boar. They represent a reservoir of diseases that are transmitted to ...