African swine fever: five new cases in the Cuneo area

Five new positive cases of African swine fever among wild boars have been identified by the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d'Aosta. All cases were detected in the province of Cuneo, in Saliceto, where there are seven confirmed cases.

The numbers

The total in the region therefore grows to 832 positives. No new cases in Liguria where positivity remains unchanged at 1,382. Overall, in the two regions, the total number of positive cases in wild boars rises to 2,214 cases. The outbreaks found in pig farms are stable at 10. The number of municipalities in which at least one positive case of African swine fever has been observed remains at 206.

African swine fever (ASF)

It is an infectious viral disease that affects both domestic and feral pigs. There are currently no safe and effective vaccines, and mortality can reach 100% of animals affected by this virus, characterized by high resistance and persistence in the environment. Even though it is not transmissible to humans, and therefore does not represent any danger to the health of citizens, ASF can have serious consequences on both an economic and social level, affecting the profitability of farms and heavily influencing the movement of pigs and related products within the European Union as well as exports to third countries. In Italy, ASF is subject to a national surveillance and eradication plan.