Cases of African swine fever on farms in EU member countries increased fivefold between 2022 to 2023, according to a study published on Thursday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
A total of 1,929 cases were recorded, the highest number since the virus was first detected in the region in 2014. These cases span from small family farms to industrial complexes housing over 10,000 pigs.
Croatia, experiencing the outbreak for the first time, and Romania accounted for 96% of these cases.
In the rest of the EU, encounters with the disease remained infrequent: 30 in Poland, 16 in Italy, and fewer than ten in six other afflicted countries.
EFSA noted that the virus was “clearly seasonal”, with 88% of cases occurring between July and October.
The agency also reported a higher incidence of African swine fever in the wild. Cases among wild boars increased by 10% compared to 2022, reaching 7,855, with Poland affected the most. However, this figure was still significantly lower than in 2020 and 2021, the agency reported.
For the first time, the virus was found in animals in Sweden and Croatia and spread to new areas in Italy. It also reappeared in Greece after a two-year absence.
Nevertheless, the number of cases among wild boars declined in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, EFSA noted.
Though harmless to humans, African swine fever is fatal for pigs and wild boar, resulting in preventative cullings to limit its spread. No vaccine is currently authorised in the EU.
EFSA intends to publish a new report in October, reassessing the risk factors for the emergence, spread and persistence of the virus.
