Andorra tightens African swine fever surveillance after nearby wild‑boar cases

Andorra has intensified surveillance for African swine fever (ASF) after cases were confirmed in wild boar in the Collserola area near Barcelona, but no infections have been detected in the principality to date.

The Ministry of Environment’s fauna unit and the corps of banders are conducting active field patrols to locate any dead wild boar. Under the established protocol, carcasses found in the wild or animals killed during administration‑led drives are sampled and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Authorities say routine wildlife disease testing has been stepped up in recent weeks; through the Poctefa cross‑border health programme and other channels Andorra carries out roughly 120 tests a year on unexplained wild‑boar deaths and will continue surveillance to ensure early detection and a rapid response.

Andorra has no commercial pig farms, so preventive measures concentrate on the wild population. Hunting regulations permit about ten administration‑organised drives a year to control wild‑boar numbers; since 31 July four such drives have been held, the most recent about 15 days ago, when six animals were shot. The government amended hunting rules to reimburse owners for veterinary costs or the loss of dogs injured or killed during these drives, a change intended to encourage hunter and beater participation.

Officials stress that wild‑boar density in Andorra is far lower than in the Collserola outbreak zone and that the local situation is not comparable to the Catalan focus. They reiterate that ASF is highly contagious and usually fatal for domestic pigs and wild boar but does not infect humans.

In addition to domestic measures, Andorra has offered operational support to Catalan authorities. By diplomatic agreement, a canine detachment from the banders—three handler‑and‑dog teams—has been made available to assist searches around Cerdanyola del Vallès as part of bilateral cooperation to help contain the outbreak.

Government sources say current controls form part of ongoing animal‑health work that has been intensified in recent weeks and that surveillance will remain active until the regional risk subsides.