African Swine Fever in Croatia prompts Slovenian biosecurity alert

The Croatian veterinary authorities reported new cases of African swine fever (ASF) in two small domestic pig holdings in Osijek‑Baranja County—one with a single pig and another with three pigs—and confirmed the virus in a wild boar in Virovitica‑Podravska County. Containment zones with movement restrictions were immediately established around the infected sites. The outbreak has been linked to inadequate biosecurity by pig owners who hunted wild boar. Slovenia’s Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection (UVHVVR) has warned Slovenian pig farmers to rigorously apply biosecurity measures, avoid travel to the affected Croatian regions, and not bring pork products or related raw material into the EU. Recommended actions include protective clothing, disinfection of equipment, limiting farm access, installing hygiene barriers, preventing contact between domestic and wild pigs, sourcing animals from verified farms and isolating new stock. ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs and wild boar, for which no vaccine exists; it does not pose a risk to human health. While not yet detected in Slovenia, the disease threatens neighboring pig populations and can cause severe economic losses through culling, trade bans and export restrictions.