The virus does not affect humans but is highly contagious and fatal for pigs, and an outbreak is potentially devastating for the country’s pork industry.

Agriculture minister Luis Planas said on Saturday the government wanted to limit the economic impact on the agricultural sector “as much as possible”.

Spain, the world’s third largest producer of pork and pork derivatives, exports almost three million tonnes each year to more than 100 countries, Planas told a press conference.

But he said a third of those countries had halted imports from Spain — an automatic safety measure when African swine flu is detected.

Mexico, one of Spain’s key markets, formally announced the suspension on Friday shortly after officials in Catalonia announced that two wild boars had tested positive — a first in the country since November 1994.

“We must focus all our efforts on trying to eradicate, eliminate all possible cases and prevent the spread of the virus,” Planas said.

The regional authorities in Catalonia have set up two perimeters around the affected area and limited outdoor activities.

African swine fever is currently present in several European countries, the Baltic states and several Eastern European nations among them.