In Tuscany, ASF is currently concentrated mainly in the region’s three northernmost provinces. A total of 433 cases have been recorded in Lucca, 367 in Massa-Carrara and 29 in Pistoia.
The virus, which circulated particularly intensively in Liguria, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna in previous years, is therefore gradually spreading further south.
Italy Has Recorded More Than 4,300 Cases in Wild Boar
Since ASF genotype II first appeared in Italy in 2022, the total number of infected wild boar across the country has risen to 4,307.
The virus was initially detected in five separate areas, four of which were brought under control relatively quickly.
In Rome, Campania near Naples, and Calabria in southern Italy, the outbreaks had only a limited impact on wildlife and local pig production.
In Sardinia, genotype II was detected on a farm at a time when the island was already nearing the end of its long-running campaign to eradicate genotype I. Neither genotype is currently being reported there.
The most difficult situation has remained in northern Italy, around Genoa. There, favourable conditions for wild boar combined with a high density of pig farms made disease control particularly challenging. The current wave in Tuscany is effectively a continuation of this northern outbreak.
ASF Has Already Affected 52 Pig Farms
The spread of the virus among wild boar has repeatedly resulted in ASF being introduced into pig farms.
Since 2022, the infection has been confirmed on a total of 52 holdings in Italy, ranging from small backyard farms to large commercial operations.
The situation was particularly severe in Lombardy in 2024, when 21 pig farms were affected. Following this, the animal health institute for Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER) carried out a separate investigation into the factors that contributed to the introduction of the virus onto farms.
Overall, nearly 130,000 pigs have had to be culled in Italy because of ASF.
Two Farm Outbreaks Already Recorded in Tuscany
Tuscany itself has so far recorded two outbreaks in domestic pigs, both in 2026.
At the end of June, ASF was detected on a farm with 12 pigs in the province of Massa-Carrara.
The virus was later confirmed on another holding, a farm with 90 pigs in the province of Pistoia.
The situation in Tuscany is therefore no longer confined to wildlife. Further spread of the virus among wild boar increases the risks to pig farms in the region and may require stronger biosecurity measures and enhanced disease surveillance.
PigUA.info, based on materials from foodagribusiness.world