IRTA-CReSA guarantees the safety of the laboratory against speculation about the origin of swine fever

BarcelonaThe Animal Health Research Centre (IRTA-CReSA) has been studying the virus for two decades. African swine fever has now been detected in dead wild boars in the Collserola Natural Park. It is the leading institution in Catalonia for animal health, and one of its lines of research is working to address emerging biological risks, such as combating this disease, which had not been detected in Spain since 1994. Currently, the main hypothesis scientists are working with is that the virus entered our homes through food samples, fueled by messages—especially on social media—linking the origin of the infections to the samples used at the center for its research. Sources at IRTA-CReSA have been emphatic in their response to these accusations: "This is a bunker; nothing alive comes out of here except the people who work there," they asserted in the ARA. Professionals at the Animal Health Research Center continue sequencing and isolating the virus detected in the infected wild boars that died in Collserola, with the aim of determining the virus's genome to compare it with those circulating in other countries and pinpoint its origin. They don't yet have the results of this sequencing, but they have nonetheless emphasized their 20 years of experience working with biosafety and their "very strict" measures to prevent samples from leaving the laboratory.

In fact, the same sources have assured ARA that a review of the protocols for the last three months has been carried out, all actions taken with this virus have been analyzed, and "no incidents have been detected." They explain that all samples used in the laboratory are destroyed to ensure that no viable trace remains and thus prevent any possible incident. Therefore, they maintain that the sources pointing the finger at them are promoting "misinformation." "We have a lot of work; it's a very serious disease. We are all aligned [research centers, researchers, and the Department of Agriculture] in helping as much as possible," they conclude from the center.

Awaiting more cases

The Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, confirmed this Monday that only two cases have been detected so far.positive cases of African swine feverIn Catalonia, the number of suspected cases rose to eight, and it was predicted that more positive results would "surely" emerge. Specifically, for the moment, only the first two cases detected in Cerdanyola del Vallès last week have been confirmed. These cases forced the Ministry of Agriculture to suspend all export licenses for pork products destined for countries outside the European Union. Aside from these two cases, the Animal Health Research Center laboratory has analyzed approximately forty more wild boars found within the affected area, of which about eight are suspected of having the disease. These eight cases, however, are being analyzed by the National Reference Laboratory located in Algete (Madrid), which is the body responsible for confirming positive cases. The eight wild boars with the potential to carry the virus were found within the affected area, within a 6-kilometer radius of the location where the carcasses of the first two infected boars were discovered. So far, no other cases have been detected. The spread of diseases between countries through food is common and explains why most governments worldwide impose strict restrictions on food imports through border controls and regulations on air and sea traffic.