Northern Italy pig culls related to African swine fever (ASF) are nearing the 100,000 mark in 2024, reports UKR AgroConsult. The number of infected pig farms in 2024 has grown to 31.
The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said 2024 has been the heaviest by far for Italy since genotype II of ASF emerged in the country in 2022, first in wild boar, then in domestic pigs, the article said. The 2024 culls have been taking place in a large zone in the north of Italy made up of parts of four regions.
Lombardy, traditionally the most important swine producing region of Italy, had 22 pig farms confirmed positive for ASF virus this year. The result was almost 75,000 culls, per EU regulations.
The article said the majority of the infected pig farms were located in the Lombardian province Pavia (14); the others occurred in the provinces Lodi (6) and Milano (2). From the most recent outbreaks in September and October, no detailed data are yet available through WOAH, so the official death toll is likely to rise, UKR AgroConsult reports.
Most infected farms were commercial facilities, and the largest of the infected farms had 19,615 pigs on-site, according to WOAH.
The northern region Piedmont also suffered some heavy losses of 23,626 pigs culled from eight farms in 2024.
“Apart from the north, genotype II of ASF virus emerged in 4 separate areas throughout the country in the last two years, but on the basis of data the situation appears to be very calm there,” the article said.
ASF poses no food safety risks and is a disease of pigs only.
Your Next Read: African Swine Fever: What it means for America if it were to get into the country
