The latest revelation Two wild boars carry the African swine fever virus in Catalonia It led to an immediate reaction in Mexican agro-food health policy.
This afternoon, Friday, November 28, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (agriculture) announced that through the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Sinasica), decided to stop importing pigs and their products from Spain As a preventive strategy to protect national production.
The Secretariat stated that the health alert arose after the notification sent by the official veterinary services (SVO) of the state of Catalonia, which confirmed, in the municipality Cerdanyola del Valles, BarcelonaThe presence of the virus in wildlife. According to official information, this event constitutes a pThe first case recorded in Spanish territory since 1994.
Sinaseca explained that until it obtains animal health reports documenting the measures taken against the outbreak, Pork and sausages such as ham, sausages, mature products, pork offal intended for human consumption or raw materials intended for the manufacture of pet food will not be allowed..
The Authority confirmed that the restriction includes both Business operations Like income Products transported by touristsand Mexican residents and citizens upon their return to the country.
“This measure was adopted based on international protocols to protect national pork production from potential risks to animal health,” the Ministry of Agriculture said.
It has established itself as one of the most deadly animal diseases, capable of causing the death of all infected pigs in the most severe outbreaks. This disease is caused by a virus of the genus Asphivirusfamily Bile virusesIt mainly infects pigs, causing high fever and skin and visceral hemorrhagic symptoms, and leads to death in a short period ranging between two and ten days after the first symptoms appear.
According to official records, deaths can reach 100% When highly virulent forms spread.
The ASF course includes domestic and wild animals. Wild boars, for example, can act as natural reservoirs and spread the virus without showing symptoms.
Secretions and secretions, such as urine, feces, semen, and blood, which contain the highest viral concentration, represent major sources of infection. Moreover, soft ticks Ornithodorus mobata It acts as a biological vector, facilitating the transmission of the virus between pigs by sequential feeding on infected and healthy animals.
The most common forms of infection include direct contact with sick animals or eating infected meat and pork products without adequate treatment, since some preservation methods do not eliminate the viral infection.
Indirect transmission also occurs through the movement of contaminated animals, vehicles, equipment or clothing, as well as the action of other insect vectors such as flies. Health authorities explain: “It does not pose a threat because it is not transmitted to humans, but they serve as a vector for transmitting the virus.”
Given these risks, countries want to Mexico It has strengthened control over the import of pigs and their derivatives, and increased biosafety measures in production units.