Agents from both police forces conducted an exhaustive search at the center's headquarters, located on the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) campus. The action falls under preliminary proceedings declared secret by the Juzgado de Instrucción número 2 de Cerdanyola del Vallès. Investigators aim to gather documentation and clarify the facts surrounding the outbreak.
The IRTA-CReSA laboratory, which specializes in infectious animal diseases and is managed by the Generalitat de Catalunya, had been under suspicion for weeks. Hypotheses suggested the ASF outbreak might have originated in a biological confinement environment, as the center possesses high-biocontainment facilities designed to handle high-risk pathogens.
“"With the data we know today, nothing allows us to conclude this."
The raid occurs while five lines of investigation remain open regarding the outbreak detected in Catalonia in November 2025—the first detection in Spain since 1994. Concurrently, 10 new positive cases were confirmed in wild boars found near the Collserola Natural Park, raising the total to 26 affected animals and escalating concerns over the risk to Catalan pork exports.
