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Press release no. 55
Press release date 25 October 2023
Swine fever, eradication in Sardinia, historic result
On 20 October this year, thanks to the confirmation of the absence of circulation of the genotype I plague virus and the continuation of the implementation of surveillance and control measures, Italy requested and obtained recognition of the eradication of African Swine Fever (PSA) in the wild sector throughout the territory of the Sardinia region, during the meeting of the Standing Committee Plant, Animal, Food and Feed – Animal Health and Welfare section.
This is a historic result, obtained thanks to the coordination of the Ministry of Health and the result of the commitment and constant collaboration between the administrations involved at all levels (local, regional, national and European) and all interested parties, including hunters , farmers and ordinary citizens.
In Sardinia, from the confirmation in 1978 to today, enormous efforts have been made to try to eradicate the disease, but only in the last decade, thanks to the establishment of the Regional Project Unit and effective coordination of all the bodies and Administrations involved, the management of the disease on the island has significantly improved.
The establishment of a specific group has, in fact, made it possible to highlight and resolve various critical issues, including organizational and management ones. Furthermore, the latest audit of the European Commission – DGSANTE, which took place in November 2021, indicated the further actions necessary to achieve the objective of eradicating the disease. These actions were included in a road map for exiting the African swine fever emergency agreed and periodically verified with the Ministry of Health, the Project Unit and the European Commission itself.
This path and the diligent application of the measures has led to an improvement in the epidemiological situation such that since September 2018 in pig farms, and since April 2019 in the wild sector, the ASF virus, genotype I, has not been found.