Vartholomio, Ilia (September 11, 2024): Worrying news from southern Greece as new cases of goat plague, or Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), emerge in the Vartholomio region of Ilia. This marks the second outbreak in the area in recent weeks, following a previous incident at a nearby livestock facility in early August.
The latest outbreak affects a farm home to a large number of goats and sheep, though the precise number of infected animals remains unclear. Upon notification, the Ilia regional unit's Directorate of Veterinary Medicine swiftly enacted established protocols to contain the situation.
While PPR poses no direct threat to human health, the virus spreads rapidly among goats and sheep, often proving fatal. Mortality rates can reach a devastating 70% in infected herds.