African swine fever outbreaks increase in pigs and wild boar across the EU

According to the latest annual epidemiological report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks across the European Union increased significantly in 2025. Domestic pig outbreaks rose by 76%, while wild boar cases climbed by 44% compared to 2024. Notably, the disease reemerged in Spain after 31 years, bringing the total number of affected Member States to 14.

Last year, the EU conducted record-level surveillance, analyzing over 518,000 samples from domestic pigs and 618,000 from wild boar. Passive surveillance successfully detected 84% of outbreaks in domestic pigs and 73% in wild boar. EFSA scientists strongly recommend that Member States continue prioritizing this monitoring approach in their ongoing efforts.

Regarding domestic pigs, EU Member States detected 585 outbreaks, a 76% increase from 2024. Romania accounted for 81% of all EU outbreaks, with further increases reported in Croatia, Estonia, and Latvia. Most of these outbreaks (91%) occurred in small-scale establishments with fewer than 100 pigs.

ASF outbreaks in wild boar reached their highest level since 2021, totaling 11,036 cases—a 44% increase over 2024. Poland accounted for nearly one-third (31%) of these cases. Notably, Spanish authorities reported the first wild boar outbreaks since 1995 in Catalonia; genetic analysis revealed a unique strain not previously circulating in Europe. Nevertheless, regional control campaigns in Czechia and southern Italy have shown successful results in managing wild boar populations.