Italy panic as country forced to cull 60,000 farm animals over deadly disease warning

An outbreak of African Swine Fever has seen 60,000 pigs destroyed in Italy with at least 24 separate outbreaks and hundreds of farms affected.

Italian farmers have warned that the outbreak could have huge ramifications for the nation’s prosciutto, sausage and pork industries which are worth a combined total of €8.2billion.

On August 29, the government of Georgia Meloni appointed a Director General of Animal Health, veterinarian Giovanni Filippini, to deal with the worst outbreak of swine fever in Italy since the 1960s.

Mr Filippini said: “Here are 18 swine fever hotspots in Lombardy, five in Piedmont, and one in Emilia Romagna.

“Not a day goes by without a new outbreak being discovered. When a sick pig is found on a farm, the law requires that all animals be culled.”

Italy is home to nearly nine million pigs and the pork industry is estimated to employ around 50,000 people.

Italian soldiers have been deployed in order to contain the outbreak, using drones and thermal imaging to help track the movements of animals.

Rudy Milani, president of Confagricoltura Swine Producers said: “There is only one word that can describe the mood of the farmers now: terrified.

“We are in a big sea with a strong wind, that is for sure. We have to survive the storm.”

The virus is harmless to humans but can be deadly to pigs and boars.

The virus spreads through contact with infected animals as well as indirectly through contact with contaminated items such as clothing, shoes or tick bites.

Swine danger poses no risk to the consumption of pork but according to Mr Milani it severely damages exports.

He said: “The problem is that this virus is transported through meat to foreign countries where swine fever does not exist.

“Since we had the virus in Italy, pork exports to China, Japan, Asia in general, and some American countries were blocked a few days later, causing damage to exports.”

It is estimated that since January 2022, producers have lost nearly €500million (£421m) due to ruined exports.

There are concerns that the virus could reach neighbouring Spain, where there have so far been no reported cases.

The prevalence of the virus in wild boars poses the biggest danger to attempts to contain the virus within Italian borders.

EU experts have warned against hunting them in response, fearing that it will cause the wild animals migrate elsewhere out of fear.

Jaume Bernis from the Coordinator of Farmers' and Ranchers' Organisations said: “A single case of swine fever, even if isolated, would affect Spanish exports and close markets.

“Things are very controlled here; PCR tests are done on all animals big or small; there’s lots of surveillance.”