African swine fever outbreak spreads across Serbia and Croatia

The African swine fever (ASF) virus has been confirmed on 496 farms in 18 municipalities of Serbia, killing 1,015 pigs and leading to the euthanasia of 10,515 animals. Authorities plan to cull about 11,000 pigs in the Hrtkovci area near the Croatian border and have summoned senior officials from agriculture, defence, interior ministries and the army for a high‑level coordination meeting.

In Croatia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has revised its control orders to tighten bio‑security amid a worsening epidemiological situation in the Osijek‑Baranja and Virovitica‑Podravina counties. New rules set a 60‑day deadline for restocking emptied farms after official approval and impose stricter requirements on public events that serve pork products, including prior approval from local authorities and detailed reporting on meat origins. Both countries are strengthening pig transport controls and urging farmers to report any signs of disease immediately.