In northern Italy, a first exceptional case of African Swine Fever has appeared. It is unclear how the virus ended up in northwest Italy.
The distance as the crow flies is more than 800 km from ASF-infected areas in southeastern Germany, while it is not yet present in the intermediate countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Human intervention might be involved.
The carcass of the wild boar was found in the city of Ovada, in the province of Alessandria. The city is located between just 30 km northwest of Genoa and 85 km southeast of Turin. This is in the heart of the Italian pig farming region.
This first ASF case could have major consequences for the Italian pork trade, as countries may impose import bans on all Italian pork products.
The regional government of Piedmont has asked the mayors of the cities to stop hunting. The regional authorities also announced that they will increase surveillance of wild boars and pig farms and implement strict biosecurity measures at farms.
Formally, Italy is not 100% free from African Swine Fever. On Sardinia, genotype I of African Swine Fever is endemic. This is a last remnant of ASF infections in Southern Europe from the 1980s; that virus type is now found only in Sardinia.