Italy’s capital has struggled with wild boars for the past decade, eating garbage, disrupting traffic, and trespassing on the Vatican. These boars have caused much trouble for the Italian government, spreading deadly diseases that have devasted an entire sector.
In recent months, there were concerns the boars could spread African swine fever, which is harmless to humans and pets but deadly to commercial pigs. Italian pork has already been banned in some countries due to fears of the virus.
After carcasses were discovered infected with the virus in northwestern Italy and more recent cases in Rome, the government created a task force in March with a goal of reducing the boar population by 50 percent through selective shooting andquarentine. In the absence of a significant reduction in the boar population, efforts to eradicate this virus may have a difficult time succeeding.
A combination of factors, including high reproduction rates and a lack of large predators, has caused the wild boar population in Europe to spike sharply. They have increasingly shown up near parks and forested areas in urban centers.
The virus can survive on surfaces extremely well, especially in soil. The threat to the Italian pork industry has been so dramatic that farmers all over the country have protested for government intervention. Infected pigs die from the virus 98 percent of the time, as there is no treatment or vaccine available. If the disease spreads to their farms, pigs raised for meat will have to be euthanized.
In a sector that generates more than $20 billion in revenue annually, the spread of African swine fever would cause havoc. In order to secure pig farms, the Italian government has allocated 15 million dollars in the initial phase. There has already been a $20 million loss due to pauses in Italian pork imports.
Boars continue to take advantage of the city’s fountains and sidewalks as they cool off in the city. In some neighborhoods, they are adopted by the community and given nicknames, although few have attacked people.
Links: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/17/wild-boars-rome-italy-african-swine-fever-cull/
https://www.nytimes.com/1967/04/12/archives/destruction-of-pigs-urged-to-halt-fever-in-rome-area.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_swine_fever_virus?wprov=srpw1_0
In recent months, there were concerns the boars could spread African swine fever, which is harmless to humans and pets but deadly to commercial pigs. Italian pork has already been banned in some countries due to fears of the virus.
After carcasses were discovered infected with the virus in northwestern Italy and more recent cases in Rome, the government created a task force in March with a goal of reducing the boar population by 50 percent through selective shooting andquarentine. In the absence of a significant reduction in the boar population, efforts to eradicate this virus may have a difficult time succeeding.
A combination of factors, including high reproduction rates and a lack of large predators, has caused the wild boar population in Europe to spike sharply. They have increasingly shown up near parks and forested areas in urban centers.
The virus can survive on surfaces extremely well, especially in soil. The threat to the Italian pork industry has been so dramatic that farmers all over the country have protested for government intervention. Infected pigs die from the virus 98 percent of the time, as there is no treatment or vaccine available. If the disease spreads to their farms, pigs raised for meat will have to be euthanized.
In a sector that generates more than $20 billion in revenue annually, the spread of African swine fever would cause havoc. In order to secure pig farms, the Italian government has allocated 15 million dollars in the initial phase. There has already been a $20 million loss due to pauses in Italian pork imports.
Boars continue to take advantage of the city’s fountains and sidewalks as they cool off in the city. In some neighborhoods, they are adopted by the community and given nicknames, although few have attacked people.
Links: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/17/wild-boars-rome-italy-african-swine-fever-cull/
https://www.nytimes.com/1967/04/12/archives/destruction-of-pigs-urged-to-halt-fever-in-rome-area.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_swine_fever_virus?wprov=srpw1_0
