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A plague is spreading across Europe as Greece and Romania are forced to cull thousands of tens of thousands of animals.
Peste de Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious disease affecting livestock. It was first detected on July 11 in Thessaly, central Greece.
It quickly spread to farms in neighbouring Romania, prompting authorities to cull nearly 200,000 sheep and goats in response.
PPR is not a zoonosis, meaning it does not spread from animals to humans – meat and milk from infected animals are still safe for consumption. However, the disease greatly affects production due to the need to cull large numbers of animals to prevent its spread.
This means it presents a serious threat to Greece’s domestic livestock industry and the production of its renowned feta cheese, a vital part of the country’s economy. About 40 percent of Greece’s soft cheese comes from sheep and goat milk produced in Thessaly.
Greece produces around 140,000 tonnes of feta annually, with about 65 percent of it being exported, making a significant impact on the global dairy market despite Greece’s relatively small size.
The country has culled approximately 14,000 animals, according to Kostas Tsiaras, Greece’s minister for rural development, and thousands are being tested.
Romania has 37 active outbreaks, culling over 200,000 animals, according to the country’s veterinary and food safety authority.
Both have temporarily restricted the movement of goats and sheep as confirmed cases rise.
The World Organisation for Animal Health, based in Paris, describes PPR as having “severe morbidity and mortality rates” and causing substantial economic damage in regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, where goats and sheep are essential food sources.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, symptoms of PPR include depression, fever, nasal and ocular discharges, oral sores, respiratory distress, coughing and diarrhoea.
“The Commission is following closely with both countries and setting up the necessary measures at the EU level,” a Commission official told Euronews.
The EU executive implemented urgent measures for Greece and Romania on July 19 and 26, respectively, following votes in its standing committee on the food chain and animal health.
These measures aim to restrict the movement of susceptible commodities to ensure safe trade while upholding the EU’s sanitary standards.
“At this stage, further questions should be addressed to the Greek and Romanian responsible authorities,” the Commission official said.
The EU Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has acknowledged the critical situation in both countries but has not yet received requests for scientific support in this area, reports Euronews.
“We stand ready to assist risk managers with our scientific advice if requested,” an EFSA official said.
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