Authorities ask for Spanish military to help with hunting to control African swine fever

The Catalan government has asked the Spanish executive to mobilize as many units as possible from the military's specialized hunting control team to control the outbreak of African swine fever.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, confirmed that tests on pigs from the 39 farms in the affected area have come back negative.

He also admitted that more dead wild boars have been found in the area under surveillance, but he avoided giving numbers and pointed out that it is the official laboratories in Madrid that must confirm cases, which for now remain two.

Ordeig admitted earlier in the morning that they "will use the technical, economic and effective means that are needed, both to control people so that they do not enter the forested areas and also to carry out hunting control work."

The situation remains a health alert, since so far these two wild boars have been confirmed positive for African swine fever in Cerdanyola del Vallès, while four more animals located in this municipality are pending confirmation.

Ordeig called for responsibility from citizens and has reminded them that "sanctions" can be applied if they enter restricted areas. "It is not about threatening sanctions, but about saying that we are taking a big risk," he said.

The government are also increasing controls and surveillance at the entrances to Collserola park to prevent people from entering the area.

Access for leisure activities has been restricted as authorities carry out tasks to detect more possible infections.

The restrictions, however, have not prevented part of the population from visiting the area anyway. In most cases, walkers argue that they were unaware of the ban.

Tasks of capturing wild boars are being coordinated by the Rural Agents force, forest workers, a unit of the Civil Guard, and specialized private companies.

Authorities don't want to employ hunting raids on the animals to prevent them from getting scared and moving towards clean areas.

Possible new cases

The agriculture minister recalled that for now there are two confirmed positive cases, and four suspected cases pending definitive confirmation, but he did not rule out that the number will increase in the coming hours because animals are being found, both in the first 6 kilometer radius and in the 20 kilometer radius.

Sources from the ministry indicated to the Catalan News Agency that they are finding and collecting dead wild boar bodies which will have to be analyzed.

The minister is expected to appear on Sunday afternoon to provide more information.

Ordeig ruled out suspending classes at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), which has a campus very close to where the dead wild boars were found, but he has asked to avoid activities in nature.

"For now it is not on the table, but we will make decisions based on the information we have," said Ordeig.

The minister avoided speculating about the origin of the outbreak, but pointed out, as the ministry and several experts have already done, the possibility that some contaminated food caused the disease in the wild boars.