Barcelona closes Serra de Collserola Natural Park after detecting first ASF case in the city

The authorities of Barcelona have decided to completely close access to the Serra de Collserola Natural Park after detecting the first case of African Swine Fever (ASF) within the administrative boundaries of the city. A wild boar infected with the virus was found in the urban area, forcing the Generalitat de Catalunya to immediately seal off all natural areas of the metropolis. The Conseller of agriculture Generalitat de Catalunya, Òscar Ordeig, announced a ban on all recreational activities in the park area to prevent further spread of the pathogen. This decision is preventive and serves to protect the region's crucial pig farming sector from devastating economic consequences. African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral hemorrhagic disease that affects only animals of the Suidae family, including domestic pigs and wild boars. Although the virus does not pose a direct threat to human health, its appearance in the wild boar population generates enormous losses in agriculture due to the need to cull breeding herds and trade restrictions on meat. In Catalonia, the current sanitary crisis has been ongoing since November 2025, when the first disease outbreaks were recorded in the region.

The epidemiological situation in Catalonia has worsened in recent days, and the total number of confirmed ASF cases since the beginning of the crisis has risen to 216. The new positive result in an animal found in Barcelona is significant because it is located outside the original disease focus, indicating the virus's expansion towards densely populated urban areas. In response to this threat, the authorities announced radical actions involving the elimination of the wild boar population in zones affected by the plague. Development of the ASF epidemic in Catalonia: 2025-11: 1, 2026-03: 216

The regional administration's actions are currently focused on "blinding" green areas, which in practice means physically blocking entrances to forests and parks surrounding Barcelona. Veterinary and forestry services are monitoring the situation, and a local court in Cerdanyola has launched an investigation to determine the origin of the current outbreak regarding a possible crime against the environment. „Barcelona cierra los accesos al parque de Collserola tras aparecer un jabalí contaminado por peste porcina. La Generalitat sacrificará todos los ejemplares de la zona” (Barcelona closes access to Collserola park after a wild boar contaminated with swine plague appears. The Generalitat will cull all specimens in the area) — Òscar Ordeig via LaVanguardia

The restrictions primarily affect the residents of Barcelona, for whom the Serra de Collserola is a main place for recreation and sports activities. Although in December 2025 the authorities temporarily relaxed restrictions in the park's second protection zone, the current incident has forced a return to the strictest measures. Course of the ASF crisis in Barcelona and surroundings: November 28, 2025 — First restrictions; December 15, 2025 — Relaxation of restrictions; February 2026 — Depopulation action; March 11, 2026 — Case in Barcelona