Swine fever, EU lifts safety measures on many farms: here's where

The containment measures put in place against the spread of swine fever, which for a long time seemed out of control, seem to be starting to give their first concrete effects, so much so that many areas are returning to a situation of normality. Or at least they will return to it following the decision taken by the EU at the request of the Italia government.

The European Commission's Animal Health and Welfare Committee has in fact approved the amendment to Regulation 2023/594 on measures to prevent and control African swine fever, unanimously giving a favourable opinion to the Italian proposal to remove restrictions in several territories in Lombardy and Piedmont. The technical report presented by Italia called for the removal from the restriction zones of those territories where no cases have been found or carcasses of infected animals have been found for more than six months, through the blanket search conducted also with the help of molecular dogs.
"The decision," explained Under-Secretary for Health Marcello Gemmato, "reflects the favourable evolution of the epidemiological picture and the effectiveness of the measures taken and represents a significant result for the pig sector and for the entire national agri-food system.

The measure concerns in particular the provinces of Milan, Varese, Vercelli, Novara and Lodi (with the exception of the municipality of San Rocco al Porto) and part of the provinces of Asti and Alessandria above the axis of the A21 Turin-Piacenza motorway. There is also a revision of the areas in the province of Pavia, with the extension of the municipalities in zone 1. The revision also affects portions of the territories in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Piacenza.

The Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, emphasises that 'the unanimous green light from the European Union confirms that the line adopted by Italia is effective. Rigour in the measures, collaboration between institutional levels and the responsibility of operators are decisive. We will continue along this path, in full synergy with the Ministry of Health, to consolidate the results and protect a strategic sector'.

"After the successes recorded in the metropolitan area of Rome and in Sardinia, which was followed by the total eradication from Calabria,' says the under-secretary at Masaf, Patrizio La Pietra, 'now we have excellent news also from Lombardy and Piedmont, and I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the work done by the local authorities, the Ministry of Health and the ccommissioner Giovanni Filippini'.