Spanish authorities started an urgent investigation after they found African Swine Fever in wild boars near Barcelona. The strain looked unusual. Officials now suspect the virus may have leaked from a high-security research centre in the area.

Experts noticed something important. The strain found in Catalonia did not match the virus spreading in other parts of the European Union. This discovery pushed authorities to dig deeper.

Since late November, officials have confirmed 13 ASF cases in dead wild boars found in countryside areas outside Barcelona.

Early theory changes after testing

At first, officials believed the disease spread when a wild boar ate contaminated food. They suspected someone had thrown away infected meat. However, lab tests later told a different story.

The results showed that the virus matches the “Georgia 2007” strain.

Spain’s agriculture ministry explained that this strain is a “reference virus frequently used in experimental infections in containment facilities to study the virus or to evaluate the efficacy of vaccines.”

Because of this evidence, the ministry added that the finding “does not… rule out the possibility that its origin lies in a biological containment facility.”

This discovery caused alarm. Spain is the largest pork exporter in the EU, and the pork industry is worth about $10.3 billion. A large outbreak could damage the entire sector.

Catalonia orders checks on research labs

Catalonia’s regional president, Salvador Illa, acted quickly. He ordered a full audit of research facilities located close to the outbreak zone.

Authorities will now inspect five research centres that work with the ASF virus within a 20-kilometre radius of where the dead boars were found.

Still, Illa urged caution and refused to rush to conclusions.

“The regional government isn’t ruling out any possibilities when it comes to the origin of the outbreak of African swine fever, but neither is it confirming any,” Illa said. “All hypotheses remain open. First and foremost, we need to know what happened.”

Containment efforts step up

Meanwhile, experts tested nearby farms. So far, they found no sign of the virus in 39 pig farms close to the affected area. This has given some relief.

However, authorities are not taking any chances. Spain has deployed more than 100 personnel from the military emergencies unit. They are now working with police and wildlife rangers.

Their job includes monitoring the area, controlling animal movement, and preventing the virus from reaching farm animals.

Officials will continue testing. They will also wait for more results before confirming the exact source of the outbreak.