Sheep Transport Banned in Greece Amid Smallpox Outbreak

The Ministry of Rural Development and Food announced on Tuesday that the transport of sheep in Greece is prohibited for ten days due to a smallpox outbreak detected in northern regions, extending as far south as the prefectures of Magnissia and Corinthia.

Magnissia and Corinthia reported one confirmed case each. The ban applies to all transport activities, including reproduction, fattening, grazing, and slaughter. This decision followed a teleconference with Minister Kostas Tsiaras, Deputy Minister Christos Kellas, Secretary General Giorgos Stratakos, regional governors, and representatives from farming cooperatives and the veterinary sector.

Minister Tsiaras emphasized, "Our country is facing another serious epidemiological threat, as a rise in smallpox cases among sheep has been recorded. While this disease is highly contagious among animals, I want to stress that it poses no threat to public health, as it does not transmit to humans." He noted that the transportation ban aims to limit the disease's spread and manage the crisis effectively, similar to the response to past outbreaks.

Livestock breeders, dairy producers, slaughterhouses, and feed suppliers in Magnissia and Corinth have been alerted about the outbreak. At the same time, veterinary teams conduct inspections within a protection zone of 3 km and a surveillance zone of 10 km.

To date, authorities have identified 104 disease foci, 81 of which are located in Evros prefecture and the remainder in Komotini, Xanthi, Kavala, Serres, Magnissia, and Corinthia. In compliance with EU directives, 17,500 sheep have been culled so far.

Minister Tsiaras postponed his planned trip to Morocco in light of the outbreak.