Four more wild boar in Catalonia tested positive for African swine fever (ASF) this week, bringing the region’s total number of confirmed cases to 379 since November 2025. The latest infections were found in Barcelona city (two cases), Molins de Rei and Esplugues de Llobregat, all within the designated high-risk zone. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food released the figures in its weekly update on Thursday.
A later update on 22 October 2026 raised that tally, with the Generalitat reporting nine additional positive findings in wild boar remains in the Collserola high-risk area. The remains were found in Molins de Rei (four), Cerdanyola del Vallès (two), Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Quirze del Vallès and Barcelona (one each). The Catalan agriculture department said none of the nine findings involved animals that had died recently. The cumulative count then stood at 419 positive wild boar across 77 notified outbreaks, three basic and 74 secondary, in 13 municipalities.
Since the initial outbreak, Catalan authorities have examined 11,029 wild boar, with 10,650 testing negative. No positive cases have been detected in domestic pigs to date. By the October update, the Generalitat said 13,684 wild boar had been removed from the restricted perimeter, including 308 during the previous week. The response includes carcass searches and surveillance, alongside trapping and hunting. Targeted control operations involve rural agents and police, as well as hunting societies and specialist wildlife-control teams.
Confirmed cases have been recorded in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Terrassa, Rubí, Molins de Rei, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Barcelona, Sabadell, El Papiol, Castellbisbal and Esplugues de Llobregat. The findings are in restricted zone II, within the perimeter controls. European Union regionalization rules define the areas subject to animal-health and movement restrictions. Those controls are geographically limited and aim to reduce the risk of transmission to domestic pig holdings.
The Generalitat has kept Collserola park in Barcelona closed to the public. The area was the site of the first detected cases and subsequent infections. On 18 October, Catalan Agriculture Minister Òscar Ordeig said the park could potentially reopen toward the end of 2026 through safe corridors, if the final phase of control is completed. He cited approximately 350 closures, more than 13,300 wild-boar captures, around 410 confirmed positives and more than €100 million invested. He also said that, since 7 August, all but one positive result had involved remains of dead animals detected by dogs. Ordeig reported wild-boar density below one animal per square kilometre in zone 0.
ASF is highly contagious among swine and poses a impressive threat to the pork industry, but it does not affect humans. Infected remains can contribute to environmental contamination, while surviving wild boar can sustain transmission. Continued surveillance and access restrictions, along with population control, remain basic to the response. The closure of Collserola has disrupted recreational access for Barcelona residents. Spain has also faced other major environmental challenges in recent years, including severe wildfires that burned more than 226,000 hectares in 2026, as reported in coverage of the record wildfire season.
ASF outbreaks across Europe have prompted movement controls and trade restrictions in affected areas. Wildlife management remains an ongoing challenge for authorities and the hunting sector. In Spain, monitoring and biosecurity measures at pig farms and among wild boar populations are intended to keep the disease from reaching commercial herds and to protect animal health and the agricultural economy.
