African swine fever (ASF): Spread to 51 Countries, Summer Outbreak, and Global Health Emergency

ASF continues to spread worldwide. Between January 2024 and May 2025, 14,918 outbreaks were reported in 51 countries and territories, with 386,089 cases identified and 605,225 animal deaths reported. This situation is the result of a series of outbreaks affecting wildlife and pig farms, underscoring an ongoing crisis. Some newly affected areas include Montenegro, Albania, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, Poland, and the Philippines, which recorded 1,269 outbreaks among domestic pigs.  

June–August 2025: Virulent Summer Outbreaks

In June 2025, Germany detected the ASF virus in a dead wild boar in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. Authorities immediately took protective measures, tracing possible links to outbreaks in Hesse or Saxony. In July, the African continent recorded 83 new outbreaks among domestic pigs and 193 among wild boars—high figures reflecting active spread in the region. In August, Vietnam experienced an alarming surge in cases: the number of outbreaks more than tripled in just two weeks, rising from 514 to 972. More than 100,000 pigs died or were culled. In response to this crisis, authorities have emphasized the importance of strengthening preventive measures and have rolled out vaccination campaigns despite a still-low vaccination coverage rate.  

Global Context and International Responses

For more than three years, African swine fever has been shaking up the global swine industry: between January 2022 and April 2025, 2,108,496 domestic pigs died in 64 affected countries, with more than 1,004,396 cases reported, according to a report by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). On the regulatory front, WOAH established international standards for the evaluation of ASF vaccines in July 2025, paving the way for regulated approval processes for safe and effective vaccine candidates.  

Alarming Developments

The summer spread of ASF, amplified by situations such as those observed in Vietnam and Germany, highlights the vulnerability of global agricultural systems. The lack of widely available vaccination, along with the socioeconomic consequences for the swine industry and food safety, make the situation extremely concerning. The increasing number of outbreaks also leads to an increased risk of environmental transmission of the virus through the movement of pigs or contaminated products, as well as through wildlife.