Police raid Barcelona IRTA‑CReSA lab again in African swine fever probe

Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guardia Civil carried out a second inspection of the IRTA‑CReSA research centre in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, following a court order as part of the investigation into the origin of the African swine fever outbreak detected in Catalonia in November. The first raid on 18 December seized documentation and virus samples. Independent technical audits have found no deficiencies in the lab's bio‑security protocols, and genetic analyses by the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica and a ministry‑led investigation reported no match between the virus strains handled at the centre and those responsible for the outbreak. The laboratory has publicly reaffirmed a "maximum transparency and full cooperation" stance and said it will continue to comply with any further judicial requests. Authorities maintain that the outbreak likely originated elsewhere, but the investigation remains ongoing.