In late August, a sow in Italy tested positive for African swine fever, leading to the slaughter of all 6,200 pigs on a farm near Milan to prevent the spread of the disease. Since January 2022, Italy has culled nearly 120,000 pigs, with three-quarters of the culling taking place in the past two months as the emergency escalated.
The outbreak has hit the northern Lombardy region the hardest, with 24 confirmed cases in early September. The affected area spans 4,500 square kilometers and includes regions known for their prized Parma prosciutto. The disease, fatal to swine but not harmful to humans, initially infected wild boars before spreading to domestic pigs.
