Greece could ban movement of sheep, goats if smallpox outbreak spreads

[File photo]

Farmers successful Greece look the hazard of a nationwide prohibition connected the question of goat and sheep if veterinarians and stockbreeders don’t step up wellness checks and hygiene measures connected livestock to incorporate an outbreak of smallpox, the authorities said connected Tuesday.

The outbreak of smallpox, oregon sheeppox, has already led to the culling of astir 2% of the country’s livestock of sheep and goats, information from the Greek agriculture ministry showed.

Smallpox successful sheep and goat doesn’t spread to humans but it threatens to summation prices of sheep and goats nutrient for Greeks already suffering from a cost-of-living situation and woody a large stroke to the export of feta, Greece’s trademark salty food made of goat and sheep’s milk.

More than 260,000 sheep and goats were culled and some 1,100 farms crossed Greece were forced to unopen aft authorities detected much than 2,400 cases of the highly contagious illness among sheep and goats successful the 12 months to August, information from the agriculture ministry showed. Most cases were reported successful July and August.

A 10-day program announced connected Monday called connected stockbreeders to tighten biosecurity measures for their flocks, veterinarians to step up on-site inspections astatine farms and section authorities to acceptable up disinfection points to power the question of flocks crossed the country.

The adjacent 10 days will beryllium decisive to debar a broad prohibition connected moving sheep and goat crossed the country, Deputy Agriculture Minister Christos Kellas told nationalist broadcaster ERT connected Tuesday.

“This would mean a frost connected trade. They will not present milk, they will not present meat, there will beryllium nary slaughters crossed the country,” Kellas said.

[Reuters]