Preliminary tests have confirmed African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Virolahti, Southeastern Finland. Measures to limit the spreading of the disease have been taken, and the Finnish Food Authority has imposed restrictions on the infection zone. This is the first time that the disease has been detected in Finland. This disease is not contagious to humans.
The Finnish Food Authority has established an infection zone in the area and defined a core area with a radius of approximately three kilometres around the location where the finding was made. You can find a map of the infection zone and the content of the current restrictions on the Finnish Food Authority’s website.
Efforts are made in the entire infection zone to prevent the spreading of the disease to other parts of Finland. The movements of pigs have been restricted. Preparations are being made to determine the prevalence of the disease in wild boars, to search for and remove any carcasses of wild boars, and to inspect establishments where pigs are kept. In addition, the Finnish Food Authority imposed new restrictions on the infected zone with a decision issued on Friday 31 July 2026. The restrictions do not apply to the authorities’ activities in the area.
Restrictions in the entire infected zone:
- Hunting wild boars and all other animal species is prohibited. The ban does not apply wild boars hunting organised by the Finnish Food Authority
- Dogs may be walked only along roads and kept on a lead
- Organising dog events in the terrain is prohibited (e.g., dog trials, dog shows and other similar events)
- Organising public and sporting events in the terrain is prohibited
- Forestry work is prohibited, with the exception of collecting already felled trees from roadsides
- Driving a motor vehicle in off-road areas is prohibited
- Agricultural and forestry machinery may be transferred out of the zone only if it has been washed and disinfected
- The use of cereal and other plants collected from the area for pigs (e.g., feed, bedding and enrichment) is prohibited
- Repair work on critical infrastructure systems in the area is permitted everywhere in the infected zone, even if it requires the use of a motor vehicle in the forest (e.g., repairs of electricity networks).
In addition, the following are also prohibited in the core area:
- Mushroom and berry picking (also commercial)
- Moving about in off-road areas (e.g., cycling, running, camping and other similar recreational use) other than on roads.
The virus causing African swine fever was detected in wild piglets found dead. The remains of three dead piglets were found by a local who delivered them to the Finnish Food Authority. The carcasses were found close to each other in Vaalimaa, Virolahti. A preliminary ASF virus finding was made in the Finnish Food Authority’s tests on Thursday 30 July. The Finnish Food Authority will verify the result with the EU’s reference laboratory for African swine fever in Spain.
For more information, contact the Finnish Food Authority:
Sirpa Kiviruusu
Head of Unit
Animal Health and Medication Unit
tel. 040 092 0503
sirpa.kiviruusu@ruokavirasto.fi
3 August–30 August 2026:
Terhi Laaksonen
Director of Department
Animal Health and Welfare Department
tel. +358 40 159 5812
terhi.laaksonen@ruokavirasto.fi
ASF in Finland 2026 (ruokavirasto.fi)
African swine fever (ruokavirasto.fi)
Press release updated 3.8.2026