The number of wild boars killed by swine fever rises to 26, all in Collserola.

BarcelonaThe Central Veterinary Laboratory in Algete (Madrid) has confirmed that 10 more wild boars have tested positive for African swine fever (ASF). All of them were found in the vicinity of Collserola Park, within the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès, as were all the other specimens in which the presence of the pathogen has been confirmed. Including these 10 confirmed cases from Tuesday, the total number of wild boars that have died from ASF in the highest-risk area is now 26. The other 208 carcasses analyzed tested negative for ASF, according to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture. The Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, stated that the detection of these 10 new positive cases "is within the realm of normality," given that the search for wild boars in the virus-affected area has been intensified in recent days. "It's normal for them to keep appearing; ideally, they should be contained," he said after explaining that all the cases were found within the same 6-kilometer radius. "This was already expected. In fact, the real news would be if no more cases appeared," Ordeig said at a press conference from the Palau de la Generalitat, where he ruled out increasing restrictions on access to the natural environment as a result of these new cases.

For now, the Government is waiting to receive the results of the 'audit commissioned to IRTA Regarding the laboratories investigating African swine fever (ASF) near the location where infected wild boars have been found, samples of the virus used at IRTA have already been sent to the European laboratory to determine if it could have originated in a laboratory. This same Tuesday, the Catalan government's executive council also approved the creation of 30 new positions within the Department of Agriculture dedicated to game management.

China's Tariffs

On the other hand, the regional minister welcomed China's announcement of a reduction in tariffs on Spanish goods. Initially set at 20%—a percentage already lower than the rest of Europe—the final rate will be 9.8% for the entire country, with the exception of one slaughterhouse in Aragon where it will be reduced to 4.98%. "This puts us in a very important competitive position," said Ordeig.

The Minister of Agriculture also referred to another disease that This autumn has put livestock farmers on alert: contagious nodular dermatosis (CND)Ordeig has announced that restrictions will be lifted in the coming days and the outbreak will be declared over. He also assured that compensation for those affected "will be paid before the end of the year" and that it will be "fair and adjusted to current market values."