Swine fever in Italy: new rule from the Commissioner

To address the ongoing spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Italy, the Extraordinary Commissioner for ASF, Giovanni Filippini, has issued Ordinance No. 5/2024, which will remain in force until 31 March 2025. This ordinance introduces a series of new measures aimed at eradicating the viral disease and monitoring its progress. The new measures are focused on four key areas: the containment of the wild boar population, the depopulation of affected areas for disease eradication, the implementation of epidemiological surveillance, and the compliance of pig farms with biosecurity measures. Concerning the surveillance of domestic pigs, local health authorities will collect samples for the ASF test in all cases where there is suspicion of infection, while in the absence of suspicion, samples will be taken weekly from dead pigs in both fattening farms and production facilities in restricted areas. The order was issued following recent outbreaks in Piedmont, Lombardy, and Emilia Romagna, which resulted in the slaughter of approximately 90,000 pigs.