On October 1, the PTA announced the end of the ASF containment phase, but the level of preparedness remains unchanged. All pigs on infected farms have been culled, and initial disinfection has been completed.
“Since the beginning of the year, ASF has been confirmed on 11 farms. To prevent further spread, about 60,000 pigs had to be culled,” said Olev Kalda, head of the PTA’s Animal Health and Welfare Department.
As of October 1, the number of culled animals stood at 56,000, but during the final outbreak, that number rose because some piglets were born while herds were being destroyed.
Currently, farms are undergoing final cleaning and disinfection. According to Kalda, new pigs can be brought in no earlier than 15 days after sanitation is completed, and restocking will proceed gradually.
While farms have been cleared of the virus, the situation in the wild is deteriorating. As of October 1, ASF had been detected in 187 wild boars, and by October 10, that number had exceeded 200. The highest concentrations of infected animals were recorded in Viljandi (52) and Tartu (36) counties.
“Compared to the first two quarters of the year, the spread of ASF among wild boars has accelerated significantly. From January to May, 43 cases were detected, but between June and October the number jumped to 158,” Kalda explained.
Traditionally, ASF outbreaks in Estonia occurred only in summer, from June to September. However, this year the virus remains active into autumn, showing that the threat persists even beyond the usual transmission season.
According to Kalda, the PTA can declare the threat reduced only when no ASF-positive wild boars remain in the country — something that is still far from reality. On the contrary, there is a high risk that the disease could resurge in spring 2026.
“The virus has already spread northward into the forests of Rapla, Järva, and Jõgeva counties. The likelihood of further expansion to the north and west is high. Therefore, farmers, hunters, and authorities must all prepare for the next season,” Kalda emphasized.
Currently, 26 pig farms remain under movement restrictions, which will stay in effect at least until the end of October.
Since 2015, Estonia has experienced 41 ASF outbreaks (in 2015–2017, 2021, 2023, and 2025). Overall, the country has lost about 110,000 pigs, with economic losses exceeding €22 million.
Even though the epidemic phase has ended, the virus continues to circulate in wildlife, posing the main threat to Estonia’s pig sector in 2026.
PigUA.info based on materials from ERR