Important developments in the search for the origin of the African swine fever outbreak. The Ministry of Agriculture opened an investigation on Friday after finding indications that the infection could not have come from contaminated food, as was thought until now, but rather from experimental facilities where it was working with the virus.
The investigation, which complements the investigation that began on November 28, is based on a report submitted to the ministry by the Animal Health Research Center (CISA-INIA) in Valdolmos in Madrid, an EU reference laboratory. Their results concluded that the virus is not compatible with those circulating in the countries of the community, but it is compatible with those used in experimental centers.
In this way, the Ministry asked the Civil Guard Unit to open an investigation into possible environmental violations or crimes. The state’s Minister of Agriculture, Oscar Ordig, also announced that he had been transferred to the Mossos d’Esquadra and that they were opening an internal file.
In its statement, the Ministry presents details of the new results. CISA-INIA sequenced the virus genome and compared it to different African swine fever viruses detected in the European Union. They explained that they all belong to genetic groups 2-28, but the only genetic group from Barcelona belongs to group 29, “very similar” to the one that spread in Georgia in 2007.
They add that the latter is important because it opens the door to the origin being from a “biological detention facility,” because the “Georgia 2007” virus specifically is the virus that is typically used in “experimental infection” for studies and research on vaccines under development.
Minister Ordig, who initially cited a tainted meat sandwich from another country as the main hypothesis, urgently appeared to assess the news. He asked for “wisdom” regarding this type of investigation. The Director of Agriculture insisted: “We will know the source, but this report is not conclusive. There are several lines open.”
Ordig had to report directly to IRTA-CReSA, a food technology and animal health center that has long been working on diseases like African swine fever in its biosafety laboratories, very close to where the infected wild boars were found. In fact, its facilities continue to conduct analyzes of the animals collected these days, before sending them to the Ministry in case they test positive for African swine fever.
The advisor did not rule out that this was the case. “We will see if we have to take action in CReSA, in the surrounding areas or in other centres,” declared Ordig, who insisted that the results were not expected.