China’s agriculture ministry said on Wednesday it had suspended pork imports from Italy after African swine fever (ASF) was detected in a wild boar in the country, Reuters reports.
This was the first reported case on Italy’s mainland since the virus arrived in Western Europe in 2018. Italy is the European Union’s seventh largest pork producer with a $9.1 billion industry.
The case was discovered in the region of Piedmont, Piedmont’s regional health department confirmed the case following tests on a wild boar which was found dead in Ovada in the northern region.
ASF is almost always deadly to pigs and wiped out around half of China’s herd in 2019. The virus still causes outbreaks in the country and poses major concerns from a global pork trade standpoint. ASF is not harmful to humans and poses no food safety risks.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Italy Confirms Case of African Swine Fever in Wild Boar
Italy Bans Hunting, Other Activities in Regions Hit by Swine Fever
