Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Spain Focuses on Five Labs as Investigators Seek Source of Barcelona Swine Fever Outbreak

Genetic analysis points to a Georgia 2007 research lineage, prompting a targeted audit of nearby facilities.

Overview

  • Thirteen wild boars found outside Barcelona since Nov. 28 have tested positive, with confirmed cases clustered within roughly 6 km of the initial site.
  • Sequencing by a Madrid laboratory found the virus very similar to the Georgia 2007 strain commonly used in research and vaccine testing.
  • Catalonia ordered audits of five laboratories within about 20 km of the outbreak while keeping all origin hypotheses under review.
  • More than 100 personnel from Spain’s military emergencies unit are supporting containment operations alongside police and wildlife rangers.
  • Officials report no infections in nearby farms, with roughly 80,000 pigs on 55 holdings in the risk zone deemed healthy as some importing countries pause Spanish pork shipments.