“Ten-Day War” to halt the spread of sheep and goat pox – “We risk a lockdown,” said Tsiaras

The Ministry of Rural Development and Food has placed the state connected operational readiness pursuing a gathering chaired by Minister Kostas Tsiaras with Regional Governors, focusing connected the effect to sheep and goat pox.

According to the plan, for the adjacent 10 days, a unanimously approved enactment program volition beryllium implemented, which volition see the beingness of Ministry veterinarians successful the field, intensified on-site inspections, and encouraging livestock farmers to comply with and instrumentality biosecurity measures. Simultaneously, disinfection stations volition beryllium instantly established connected main roads and cardinal routes for the question of unrecorded animals, carnal feed, and milk. The beingness of the teams volition beryllium continuous, aiming for afloat power and effectual enforcement of the measures.

As emphasized during the meeting, this is simply a “ten-day assault,” with the afloat on-site beingness of each Ministry personnel, with the sole extremity of instantly halting the dispersed of the disease.

During his address, Minister of Rural Development and Food Kostas Tsiaras clarified that this is simply a zoonotic illness that is not easy controlled, and therefore, nary 1 is dispensable successful this battle. He stressed the extremity of creating a beardown model for combating the illness and highlighted the request to fortify biosecurity measures, informing that “otherwise we volition look a lockdown.” He added:
“The contented is that, wherever we basal now, we indispensable cooperate. The Regions, arsenic liable for enforcing measures, and each stakeholders indispensable follow an wholly antithetic attack to tackle the pox. It is an effort for each of america to instrumentality a corporate measurement to adjacent this chapter.”

It should beryllium noted that, if a lockdown determination is made, each movements of sheep and goats wrong Greek territory volition beryllium prohibited, and the animals volition stay successful their stables. Practically, this means that beverage and nutrient accumulation volition not scope the market, though existent quantities are already reduced. However, the outgo for farmers, fixed the harm the assemblage has already suffered, is significant.

According to information released by the Ministry, implicit the past year, much than 262,000 sheep and goats person been culled owed to the disease, corresponding to 3% of the livestock population.

See the tables with confirmed cases and carnal culling

After the meeting, Minister Kostas Tsiaras stated:

“As you know, we person been facing sheep and goat pox for a agelong period, which poses a large menace to the country’s livestock. Just recently, we had the accidental to clasp an extended gathering with the information of respective Regional Governors, thematic Deputy Governors, and, via videoconference, respective others, to coordinate actions that volition let america to incorporate the illness arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

The information is – since each issues were discussed – we identified the points that request to beryllium highlighted truthful that the results of this effort are the champion possible.

Therefore, we jointly decided – chiefly on circumstantial axes: to mobilize each the forces astatine the Ministry of Rural Development – and I mean veterinarians – truthful that successful the adjacent 10 days, done their on-site presence, successful practice with the veterinarians of the Regional Directorates of Agriculture, they volition intensify tract inspections and promote livestock farmers to comply with and instrumentality biosecurity measures.

Second, to found disinfection stations connected large roadworthy axes, particularly successful Regions presently affected by the disease.

Third, done the disinfection process, to make the anticipation of issuing a circumstantial certificate that volition let farmers to present beverage portion ensuring biosecurity measures.

Many different issues were discussed, specified arsenic imposing quarantine for imported animals to minimize the hazard of transmitting the virus. Also, the anticipation of providing farmers with disinfectants via the Regions, to further fortify the model and level of biosecurity successful combating sheep and goat pox.

I judge we are connected a affirmative path, and with the practice of each Regional Governors – whom I convey personally – and the publication of everyone present astatine the Ministry, we are taking a genuinely important measurement to code a zoonotic illness that poses superior challenges and particularities.”

Regional Governor of Thessaly Dimitris Kouretes emphasized: “I deliberation today’s gathering was highly useful. The decisions were unanimous among each Regional Governors. These are the decisions the Minister mentioned, and I judge this is the exemplary that was erstwhile successfully utilized during the plague. This is simply a war, and successful war, we are each together. We anticipation that successful the coming play we tin power the disease. This is simply a unanimous determination of each Regional Governors.”

Regional Governor of Epirus Alekos Kachrimanis noted: “Our portion does not presently person the disease, but we indispensable support our country and the farmers who whitethorn determination from mountainous to lowland areas. The treatment was precise productive, and the information that we each agreed during this exigency play is precise positive.”

Deputy Regional Governor of Agricultural Economy of Central Macedonia Georgios Kefalas said: “Today’s gathering was highly useful. We reached unanimous conclusions. As erstwhile speakers said, we are astatine war, truthful we are each utilizing each means to code the urgent menace of the disease.”

The gathering was attended by Deputy Ministers Christos Kellas and Giannis Andrianos, General Secretaries Spyros Protopsaltis and Antonis Filippis, Regional Governors Dimitris Kouretes (Thessaly), Christodoulos Topsis (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace), Alexandros Kachrimanis (Epirus), Stavros Arnaoutakis (Crete), Deputy Regional Governors Giorgos Kefalas (Central Macedonia), Kostas Apostolopoulos (Central Greece), Prodromos Gaitanidis (Epirus), Andreas Filias (Western Greece), Philemon Zannetidis (South Aegean), General Director of Veterinary Services Aikaterini Marinou, and different officials. Via videoconference, Regional Governor Giorgos Amanatidis (Western Macedonia) and Deputy Regional Governors Stavros Tzedakis (Crete), Anastasia Antoneli (North Aegean), and Konstantinos Tsirigotis (Ionian Islands) besides participated.