Bologna NAS has seized 300kg of infected meat due to swine fever

The Nucleo Antisofisticazioni of Carabinieri (NAS) in Bologna intercepted and seized meat intended for human consumption that tested positive for the presence of the swine fever virus. The NAS has conducted several controls to prevent the spread of African swine fever (Psa) throughout the current year, in collaboration with the Veterinary Services of the Ausl. The inspection activity encompassed a range of food-related businesses, including catering establishments, wholesale and retail outlets specialising in ethnic cuisine, and meat production and processing plants. In multiple instances, samples were obtained for DNA identification and the investigation of the presence of Psa; in five cases, this analysis revealed the presence of the virus in a sample that is not capable of transmission to humans. The food products that tested positive for the virus have undergone official blocking and have consequently been dispatched for destruction. Those items that were still available on the market have been withdrawn. In response to a request from the NAS of Bologna, the Italian Department of Public Health suspended three commercial activities.