Catalonia lab was experimenting with African swine fever virus when the first infected boar was found nearby

"The laboratory under scrutiny over an alleged leak of the African swine fever virus in the province of Barcelona, in northeastern Spain, had planned at least two experiments with the pathogen on the same days that the first infected wild boar was found just a few hundred meters from the facility, according to documents from the Spanish National Biosafety Commission seen by EL PAIS."

"It was the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture that posited the theory of a lab leak on December 5, a week after the discovery of two infected wild boar carcasses near the Animal Health Research Center (CReSA), a bunker-like facility where researchers work with dangerous pathogens in the search for treatments and vaccines. The ministry announced it was opening an investigation to determine whether the virus, detected on November 28, could have been the result of a lab leak."

"The Catalan government will never admit that the African swine fever virus that infected wild boars leaked out from its laboratory. It would face incalculable financial claims if it did so, declared the agricultural organization ASAJA on Wednesday. In Spain, where there are more pigs than people (49 million people compared with the 54 million pigs slaughtered last year), the pork industry is on edge. And veterinarians have warned that there is no effective vaccine, nor will one be available in the near future."

A biosafety laboratory near Barcelona scheduled at least two African swine fever virus experiments on the same days that infected wild boar were discovered a few hundred meters away. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture opened a lab-leak investigation on December 5, one week after two infected wild boar carcasses were found near the Animal Health Research Center (CReSA). An alternative hypothesis suggests wild boar consumed contaminated discarded meat. The Catalan regional government faces accusations and potential financial claims if a leak is admitted. Spain's large pork industry faces severe risk with no effective vaccine available, requiring containment measures such as isolation and carcass disposal.

Read at english.elpais.com