Estonia: new outbreak in Jõgeva
In Estonia, the ASF virus was detected at a farm in Jõgeva County, where two out of 651 pigs showed symptoms of the disease. According to the national animal health agency, this is already the 11th outbreak among domestic pigs this year. Since the beginning of the epidemic, nearly 56,500 pigs have been culled or are scheduled for culling.
Carcasses are being processed at specialized facilities AS Vireen and Atria Eesti AS. ERR reports that the peak ASF risk period in Estonia is between June and September. At the same time, efforts to reduce wild boar populations are being hampered by restrictions on drone use, introduced following recent incidents with Russian drones. Hunters say drones are crucial for detecting animals in crop fields, and without them, culling is less effective. Authorities plan to reduce wild boar numbers by 18,000, but 168 infected wild boar have already been identified.
New cases in five other countries
In addition to Estonia, the European Commission reported 34 new ASF outbreaks in Romania (24), Croatia (7), Lithuania (1), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1). Serbia also confirmed 17 cases across four districts. Most infections were found in small backyard farms, but outbreaks were also confirmed in large commercial facilities in Croatia, Serbia, and Estonia.
Since the beginning of 2025, 13 countries in the region have reported a combined 636 cases in domestic pigs. For comparison, 764 outbreaks were recorded across 16 countries during all of 2024, suggesting that 2025 could set another record in terms of infections.
Wild boar: over 8,000 cases across Europe
The situation among wild boar is even more concerning. As of September 17, a total of 8,132 ASF cases have been reported in wild populations across 18 European countries. The highest numbers come from Poland (2,749), Germany (1,838), Latvia (855), Hungary (693), Lithuania (538), and Italy (536).
In Germany alone, 49 new cases were confirmed in September, mostly in North Rhine-Westphalia, with additional cases in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse.
Africa and Asia: new challenges
In South Africa, ASF was detected at an informal encampment in the Western Cape province. Around 900 pigs have already died or been culled. Authorities fenced off the area, but damaged barriers have hindered containment.
In Togo, 14 ASF outbreaks were recorded during the first half of 2025, affecting 1,690 domestic pigs across four regions.
The situation in Asia varies. South Korea confirmed its sixth ASF outbreak this month, impacting 849 pigs. In the Philippines, the disease remains active in eight regions, including Luzon, Mindanao, and the Visayas. The municipality of Lebak in Mindanao’s Sultan Kudarat province recorded the highest number of affected communities.
In China, authorities declared the ASF situation in Guangxi “resolved” following a July outbreak near the Vietnamese border that affected nearly 800 pigs. About 200 died, and the rest were culled. No further cases have been reported since.
Conclusion
ASF remains a serious global threat to pig farming, causing enormous economic losses, forcing mass culls, and undermining food security. Europe continues to be one of the hardest-hit regions, but developments in Africa and Asia show that the virus is still spreading on a global scale.
Source: PigUA.info via feedstrategy.com