Greece has banned the transport of sheep and goats throughout the nation in a bid to curb a extremely contagious an infection generally known as “goat plague”.
“The breeding, fattening and slaughtering of sheep and goats is prohibited all through Greece,” the Ministry of Agriculture mentioned.
New circumstances of an infection had been reported within the central Larissa area and southern Corinth.
The virus, also called Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), kills 80 to 100% of contaminated animals. It doesn’t have an effect on people.
Greece’s Ministry of Agriculture mentioned in an announcement on Monday that the ban was launched “with the purpose of limiting the unfold of the illness and eradicating it”.
Livestock farmers, cheesemakers, slaughterhouse house owners and feed suppliers are mentioned to have been knowledgeable of the brand new restrictions.
Ministry officers additionally held emergency conferences over the weekend with native authorities in areas the place new PPR circumstances had been detected.
The Ministry of Well being mentioned it was conducting an investigation to find out the supply of the epidemic and didn’t rule out “suspicious imports” from overseas.
Greece can also be in touch with the veterinary authorities of the EU and EU member states.
EU laws require that when a case of PPR is confirmed, your complete flock have to be culled and the affected pig farm have to be disinfected.
Greece has culled at the very least 7,000 animals since July 11, when the illness first emerged within the nation.
Greece has the biggest goat inhabitants in Europe. Goat and sheep milk are used to make feta cheese, a trademark Greek product.
PPR was first reported in Côte d’Ivoire in 1942 and has since unfold globally.
