Spanish police carry out raid at state-funded bio-lab near Barcelona

The Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guardia Civil are conducting a raid at the IRTA-CReSA laboratory in Bellaterra, Barcelona, as part of an investigation into an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). This operation is under orders from a local court and follows secret judicial proceedings.

The investigation focuses on how the ASF outbreak, detected in late November, relates to the laboratory, especially since the first infected wild boars were found nearby. The laboratory is being scrutinized based on a report indicating that the virus's genome is similar to a variant used in experimental studies.

Authorities are exploring five animal research centers within a 20-kilometer radius of the infected boars, which includes IRTA-CReSA.