ASF outbreaks in the EU in 2023 have multiplied by 5

In 2023, 14 Member States were affected by African swine fever (ASF), resulting in a five-fold increase in outbreaks in domestic pigs compared to the previous year, reaching a similar magnitude to that of 2019. This was mainly due to the introduction and subsequent spread of ASF in Croatia and its resurgence in Romania, which accounts for 96% of EU outbreaks. These are the main conclusions of the latest annual epidemiological report published yesterday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). For domestic pigs, 2023 saw the highest number of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks since 2014. Croatia and Romania reported 96% of the total number of outbreaks (1,929). ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs were clearly seasonal in all countries: 88% of outbreaks were reported between July and October. Most ASF outbreaks among domestic pigs were detected by clinical suspicion (94%), followed by tracing in affected establishments (3%) and weekly testing of at least two dead pigs in ...