A large-scale operation has been deployed in the Barcelona metropolitan area that combines trained dogs and drones To curb the spread of African swine fever (ASF) among wild boar, the strategy focuses on quickly and accurately locating dead animals or those with suspicious symptoms, without disturbing other wildlife or generating unnecessary movement within the affected area.
Catalan authorities have established a perimeter of up to 20 kilometers around the initial focuswhere access is strictly limited. In this area, teams on foot, canine units, and drones with thermal cameras are working together to search forests, agricultural fields, and natural corridors used by wild boars, with the aim of keeping the outbreak under control and preventing it from reaching domestic pig populations.
An outbreak of African swine fever is under close surveillance.
The outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was detected in the vicinity of Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona) And, according to the Catalan government, it remains confined to the initial infection zone. So far, around one hundred dead wild boars have been found, of which Thirteen have tested positive Regarding the virus, the authorities consider this data compatible with the containment objective, as no cases have been identified outside the designated perimeter.
The control ring has been structured in two rings: a first strip of six kilometers of high riskThe operation encompasses a first zone, which has already been intensively tracked, and a second, lower-risk zone extending surveillance to a radius of 20 kilometers. In total, the operation affects more than 90 municipalities across several districts of Barcelona, ​​where biosecurity precautions have been heightened both in the natural environment and on nearby livestock farms.
Within this expanded perimeter are found dozens of pig farms with a capacity for approximately 80.000 pigs. The Ministry of Agriculture has emphasized that the animals will follow the usual fattening and slaughter cycle, without plans for mass culling or preventive depopulation of farms, as long as the virus remains contained within the wild boar population.
While veterinary controls are being strengthened, the origin of the outbreak remains under investigation. African swine fever experts suggest that the genetic analysis of the virus It will allow us to determine with considerable accuracy where it comes from, ruling out unlikely theories such as transmission through contaminated sandwiches, and without being able to completely exclude hypotheses such as a possible origin from another European country or an accidental leak from laboratory facilities.
How drones and trained dogs are combined on the ground
The core of the device relies on millimeter-precise coordination between foot patrols, drones and canine teamsRural Agents and other bodies patrol the wooded areas and edges of cultivated fields on foot, while drones fly over the open and more extensive areas to detect animals from the air using thermal and infrared cameras, both day and night.
The thermal drones They allow for highly accurate location of a wild boar, whether alive or dead. When the drone detects a suspicious heat signature or a motionless body, the location is reported to ground teams, who then travel to the indicated point. If the animal is injured or shows symptoms consistent with disease, a specific protocol is activated, including controlled culling and removal of the animal under strict biosecurity measures.
In sections with more challenging terrain or very dense vegetation, the following come into play: dogs trained for trackingThese animals are trained to find wild boar carcasses without chasing or scaring live specimens, something essential to avoid uncontrolled movements that could spread the virus to new areas.
The dogs work in pairs with their handlers, traversing plots of land approximately 300 meters on each side These locations are marked on maps and geolocation devices. When they find a carcass, the dogs stay with it and alert the handler without disturbing other animals. Unlike hunting dogs, their behavior is solely focused on detecting remains, which aligns better with the African swine fever (ASF) control strategy.
The work of the drones and dogs is complemented by geopositioning instruments, which help to record each finding and draw a detailed map This information is crucial for determining which sectors require increased controls, where to install physical barriers, and which areas require further combing.
A deployment of up to a thousand personnel and cooperation between agencies
This operation involves approximately one thousand people including technical staff and security forcesIn addition to the Rural Agents of the Generalitat, the Mossos d'Esquadra, Guardia Civil, local police, Bombers de la Generalitat, the Military Emergency Unit (UME), Civil Protection, Red Cross, the Medical Emergency System (SEM), volunteers from forest defense groups and various municipal services participate.
Within this group, the deployment of specialized canine teams They come from various sources: units from Catalonia's own Rural Agents, dog teams from the Community of Madrid, personnel from Andorra, and dogs from the Civil Guard. The incorporation of more teams from the Val d'Aran and other territories is also planned if the situation requires it.
In total, they have mobilized at least fifteen guide dog teamsThese teams are distributed across the municipalities within the risk zone. Their work is integrated into a grid-based tracking plan, so each team knows which sectors are assigned to them and can accurately record the areas already inspected and those still pending, minimizing overlaps and tipping the balance in favor of near-total coverage.
The on-the-ground efforts are supported by an operations center located in Torreferrussa, within the municipality of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda. From there, the drone flights, the rotation of canine teams and the distribution of agents, as well as the flow of information with laboratories and veterinary services, which analyze the samples collected from the dead wild boars.
The presence of the UME adds a fundamental logistical and health reinforcement, especially with regard to the disinfection of people, vehicles and animalsTheir units have set up cleaning stations for everyone entering or leaving the work area, something that applies not only to operational personnel, but also to occasional visits from journalists or other professionals who need to temporarily access the restricted area.
Specific training for dogs and disinfection protocols
The dogs participating in the program have been selected and trained to respond to very specific needs: detect carcasses without dispersing live wild boars and work in complex natural environments. Their training focuses on tracking dead animals, so they are not encouraged to chase them, something that does happen in traditional hunting disciplines.
This way of working allows that, if a dog detects a live specimen, it will not chase or corner it. thus avoiding races and travel which could lead the animal out of the controlled perimeter. When it finds a body, the dog stays near the point of discovery, indicating the location to its handler, who activates the protocol for removing the body and disinfecting the area.
To prevent these same dogs from becoming vectors of the virus, a system is applied triple disinfection at the end of each dayFirst, the limbs are carefully cleaned in the search area itself, paying particular attention if they have had direct contact with debris or secretions. Before boarding the transport vehicle, a second cleaning is performed, and once back at the command center, a third and complete sanitization is carried out.
Similar procedures are applied to human agents and vehicles, whose tires and undercarriages are subjected to disinfectant baths before entering and leaving the controlled area. On some site visits, these routines have been emphasized very visibly, for example by requiring the press to use disposable shoe covers or to walk across mats soaked in biocidal products.
Sources within the Rural Agents indicate that the collection of dead wild boar is not new: for years the force has been monitoring mortality associated with other endemic diseases of the species, such as trichinosis. The difference is that the emergence of African swine fever (ASF) has significantly increased both the number of bodies found such as the number of reports received from citizens, who are now more alert and communicative about any suspicious findings.
Perimeter, limitations and role of citizens
The affected area has been divided into grids of 300 meters per side, forming a network that facilitates the systematic control of the territoryIn the high-risk zone—the first six kilometers—the search has already been completed, while in the lower-risk zone, which extends for 20 kilometers and covers more than 70 municipalities, agents continue to comb through mountains and fields to locate corpses and wildlife crossing points.
The parallel objective to the search for dead animals is close the natural corridors These are the routes through which wild boars could leave the affected area. To this end, physical barriers are being installed at strategic crossings, drones are monitoring entrances and exits to valleys and ravines, and patrols are being reinforced on roads and forest tracks, always trying to interfere as little as possible with other wildlife.
For the time being, the authorities have opted not to cull live wild boars in a generalized manner within the control zone, prioritizing first the delimitation and counting of specimens Present. Intensive hunting will depend on what the European Union authorizes, which must decide on a possible selective culling plan depending on how the situation evolves.
The public has a crucial role to play in this strategy. The relevant authorities have repeatedly called for citizens to... Avoid walks through forests and trails that are within the restricted area, remembering that people can carry the virus on their clothes, on the soles of their shoes or on the wheels of their vehicles, especially if they have passed through areas with the presence of feces or biological remains.
According to those in charge of the operation, the public response has been mostly responsible, although there are still some isolated cases of people entering despite the prohibitions. The authorities emphasize that compliance with the rules It not only protects wildlife and the pig farming sector, but also contributes to ensuring that international trade restrictions that Spanish meat products are milder and more temporary.
Combining trained dogs, thermal drones, and a massive human device This has, for the moment, allowed the African swine fever outbreak to be contained within the wild boar population of the province of Barcelona. Although the exact origin of the virus is still under investigation and complex scenarios cannot be ruled out, coordination between agencies, collaboration between communities and neighboring countries, and citizen involvement are proving key to reducing the risk of the disease spreading to pig farms or other areas of Europe, demonstrating how technology and fieldwork can go hand in hand in managing wildlife health crises.
