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National officials probing the ongoing ASF outbreak in the northeastern region are now exploring the possibility that the virus could have originated from a scientific laboratory. Their focus has narrowed to five local labs as potential points of origin.

Confirmed Cases and Economic Concerns

A total of thirteen cases of the virus have been confirmed in feral pigs in the countryside outside Barcelona since 28 November. This has prompted the country – the European Union's biggest pork exporter – to scramble to control the situation before it escalates into a significant threat to the nation's multi-billion euro pig meat export industry.

Evolving Theories of Origin

Initially, regional officials suspected the outbreak started after a boar ate infected food brought in from abroad – possibly a thrown away meat sandwich from a haulier.

However, the national ministry of agriculture has initiated a new investigation after concluding that the variant of the pathogen found in the deceased animals in the region is not the same as the one known to be circulating in other EU member states. Investigative findings suggest the identified virus is instead similar to one found in the country of Georgia in 2007.

"The discovery of a virus like the one that circulated in that country does not, therefore, exclude the possibility that its origin is a high-security facility," said the ministry.

Research Connection Explored

The 'Georgia 2007' viral strain is a 'standard' pathogen commonly employed in scientific studies in secure labs to research the disease or to test the effectiveness of vaccines, which are currently being developed. The analysis suggests that the outbreak might not have originated in livestock or animal products from any of the countries where the infection is currently active.

Official Response and Audit

In response, the regional president of Catalonia stated he had ordered the regional research body to carry out an audit of five laboratories that handle the African swine fever virus within a 20-kilometer distance of the outbreak site.

"The regional government isn’t ruling out any possibilities when it comes to the source of the outbreak of African swine fever, but neither is it confirming any," he said. "Every theory are on the table. Above all, we need to know the facts."

Current Containment Efforts

The authorities have reported 13 cases of the disease – all of them in dead wild boar found within six kilometers of the initial focus. They have said the remains of 37 more animals found in the area have been tested, with all showing no infection for swine fever. Experts dispatched to the 39 pig farms within the 20km radius have found no sign of the disease on those farms. Over one hundred personnel from the country's emergency response forces have additionally been sent to the area to assist police officers and forestry agents.

Global Context of African Swine Fever

Long native to Africa, African swine fever is not dangerous to people but often fatal to swine. In the year 2018, the virus emerged in the People's Republic of China, which is home to about half of the global pigs. By 2019, there were fears that up to one hundred million animals had been culled or died. Subsequently, the virus was confirmed to be in the Federal Republic of Germany, home to one of the European Union's biggest swine herds.

The Country's Pivotal Role in Meat Production

The nation, which is the European Union's biggest pork producer, sold pork products worth €5.1bn to other EU countries in the previous year, and almost €3.7bn of pig-based goods to markets outside Europe. Official statistics show that the country processed 58 million swine in the year 2021 – an increase of forty percent from a decade earlier.