Battle against time for the second round of smallpox in sheep and goats – Why vaccination is not preferred

A conflict against clip to halt the dispersed of pox successful herds of pigs and sheep is being fought by farmers, veterinarians, regions, and the Ministry of Rural Development, since different the lockdown for Greek breeding volition beryllium a one-way street, and the consequences volition beryllium incalculable for the full superior assemblage and agrarian economy.

Already, pox is making a 2nd circular of outbreak, and wrong 13 months, arsenic of August 2024, 903 cases had been recorded successful 1,148 farms, portion 262,854 goat and sheep deaths had taken place. It should beryllium noted that smallpox is simply a superior illness that lone affects goats and sheep. The main symptoms exhibited by the animals are fever, tegument lesions chiefly connected the hairless parts of the body, anorexia, and prostration.

Following the mass killings and outbreaks successful 24 regions, determination person been allegations that immoderate radical did not state their animals sick to debar sidesplitting their flocks, but created progressive outbreaks of transmission. The measures being intensively applied during the important ten-day play successful the past effort to halt the dispersed of the illness see isolation of sick animals, confinement of herds and each interaction with different farmers. At the aforesaid time, biosecurity and hygiene measures indispensable beryllium strictly observed by each workplace personnel.

In areas with confirmed outbreaks, circumstantial measures shall beryllium applied. The extortion portion is defined arsenic (a) a radius of 5 kilometres from the infected farm, portion (b) the surveillance portion is defined arsenic a radius of 20 kilometres, and (c) the further restricted portion is defined arsenic a radius of 40 kilometres.

To negociate the illness to eradicate it, the nationalist exigency effect program is being implemented. The measures taken are arsenic follows: sidesplitting and burial of animals connected the infected farm, demarcation of Protection and Surveillance zones and further Prohibited Zones, prohibition of question of sheep and goats and provender successful these zones, informing farmers astir the biosecurity and hygiene measures to beryllium observed, declaration of the Regional Entities with outbreaks successful a Special Civil Protection Mobilisation, mobilisation of veterinarians serving successful the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and successful supervised bodies, systematic disinfection of agrarian roads, mobilisation of the EL.AΣ. to prohibit movement, behaviour epidemiological research, acceptable up disinfection stations astatine cardinal points of the roadworthy web and acceptable up a task unit to woody with the disease.

It is stressed that smallpox is exclusively a zoonotic disease; it is not transmissible to humans, and some highly pasteurized beverage and nutrient are wholly harmless for consumption.

“We privation to debar lockdown. I marque this wide successful each direction,” Rural Development Minister Kostas Tsiaras said yesterday and explained: “If we determination to a lockdown, determination volition beryllium superior consequences for Greek livestock and agriculture. We are presently successful the harvest of corn, a cardinal merchandise of the superior assemblage and important for the accumulation of carnal feed. If this concatenation is disrupted, the difficulties volition beryllium tremendous for the full agri-food economy.”

At the aforesaid time, Tsiaras made an extended notation to the people of the pandemic and pollock from the summertime of 2024 to the contiguous day, noting their cardinal differences: “The plague microorganism lives up to 21 days, which enabled america to instrumentality constricted and time-specific measures. In contrast, the smallpox microorganism tin past up to six months connected earthy carriers specified arsenic carnal wool oregon carnal feed. This means that the effect cannot beryllium done successful the aforesaid way.”

On compensation, Tsiaras said the authorities has stood by farmers with important fiscal support. “We person fixed compensation higher than immoderate different European state for the animals killed. We person besides taken measures to screen the outgo of carnal feed. We person recovered each the tools that volition let farmers to basal up and guarantee their survival,” helium stressed.

However, for their part, farmers accidental that the compensation for the slaughter of animals is capable to regenerate fractional of the livestock, since the mean compensation terms (the magnitude varies according to the property of the animals sent to slaughter) is little than 200 euros, portion caller animals purchased outgo much than 320 euros.

Asked yesterday astir vaccination, Costas Tsiaras reiterated that determination is presently nary technological grounds for the effectiveness of vaccines. “The disposable formulations travel from 3rd countries; nary European state has implemented vaccination, and objective studies amusement that immunity reaches lone 60% of the animals vaccinated. If we were to marque specified an uncertain choice, we would adjacent endanger our exports – and particularly our astir important livestock product, feta cheese,” helium said.