Province of Parma celebrated worldwide for Italy’s finest prosciutto dealing with swine fever
Finding the prized Italian deli meat prosciutto is becoming a bit of a challenge in different parts of the world due to a highly contagious and deadly disease spreading across pigs.
In September 2024, swine fever peaked in northern Italy, with nearly 24 outbreaks in the Lombardy region. The hub of this epidemic spans almost 1,740 square miles and includes destinations like Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, a region world renowned for its prized Parma prosciutto.
Since swine fever first reappeared on the peninsula in January 2022, Italy has exterminated 120,000 pigs, 90,000 of which over the past two months alone as the emergency intensifies. In spite of all regulatory safety measures being adhered to, swine fever is back in Italy, putting local economies and livelihoods on the line.
The illness does not affect humans, but it is threatening the lives of domestic pigs. An estimated 100,000 jobs are at risk, 26,000 farms could be shut down, and a total of 8.1 million pigs could be culled to contain the disease.
Read more at AP: Swine fever sweeps Italy’s north, threatening production of prized prosciutto and livelihoods