In addition to the unbearable heat, forest fires and floods that it has to deal with year after year, Greece is facing a new problem this summer - goat plague.
The first case of the disease, known as plague of small ruminants (PPR), was registered in this Mediterranean country on July 11 and has so far affected several regions.
Nine animals on farms in central Greece tested positive for PPR, followed by mass testing of sheep and goats.
Plague of small ruminants is not dangerous for humans, says Miroslav Valčić, a retired professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Belgrade.
"If it appears, it is regulated by special regulations, and in the event that it occurs in neighboring countries or one with which we have trade relations, as is the case with Greece, border control is tightened, but for now there is no danger," he added to the BBC. in Serbian.
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So far, about 16.500 have been tested in Greece, and the number of infected animals killed is 2.500. he confirmed vlade spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis.
In response to new cases detected outside the region of central Greece, on July 29 the authorities introduced complete ban trade in goat and sheep meat, as well as their fattening and slaughtering.
The decision is valid for the whole country.
What are the symptoms of goat plague and is it dangerous for humans?
Sheep and goat plague affects both domestic and wild small ruminants.
It is caused by a virus Morbillivirus from the family Paramyxoviridae and can infect up to 90 percent of infected animals, and up to 70 percent of infected throats die from the disease, it is stated on the website Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
In infected animals fever, wounds and lesions, difficulty breathing and diarrhea occur.
"Unlike African swine fever, goat fever is not dangerous and cannot be transmitted from an infected animal to a human.
"It is part of the exotic diseases that mostly come from the south, and the virus that causes PPR can persist in nature for up to a year," says Professor Valčić.
Unlike plague of small ruminants, African swine fever can also be transmitted by humans, but they cannot get sick from it.
It is spread by contact of infected pigs with healthy pigs, by feeding pigs with infected food remains, as well as by means of transport, such as trucks or tractors.
More about this disease that reached Serbia in 2023 read here.
Floods and goat plague
The first cases of goat plague were registered in Larissa and Thessaly, regions in central Greece.
It is 2023 in Thessaly were hit twice by large floods, and there were also fatalities.
Almost a year later, some farmers in this Greek region are struggling with goat plague.
However, during the past weekend, a new epidemic was confirmed in the livestock unit in Messina, within the regional unit of Corinthia.
According to a statement from the Greek Ministry of Rural Development on Monday, July 29, increased security measures are necessary across the country to prevent the spread and eradicate the disease.
Local authorities have so far tested thousands of goats and sheep, and an additional 120.000 should be examined by the end of July.
More than 100 veterinarians in the public sector and the army are participating in the testing.
Greek Minister for Rural Development and Food Kostas Ciaras he said that public health is not at risk. Veterinary services and university schools in Greece have said that consuming milk and meat from infected animals after cooking is safe, it said. in a government announcement.The Greek government has confirmed that the animals are being killed as part of disease control measures approved by the European Union (EU).
Potential damage
There are small ruminants (sheep and goats). about 2,1 billion worldwide.
For many rural households, they are the primary source of food and regular income, especially in arid regions such as the Sahel region of Africa.
On an annual level, economic losses can amount to several billion dollars, according to the UN agency, specifying that around 300 million families would be at risk.
Sheep and goats and their products are the main traded goods, especially in Africa and the Middle East.
From the export of goats, Greece has earned about 36.000 euros, and the biggest buyers are Albania, North Macedonia, Romania and Germany, according to data from the World Bank.
Earlier cases
Goat plague was first registered in 1942 in West Africa, but it quickly spread to other regions of this continent, affecting the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
More than 70 countries are affected by this disease or are at high risk.
They are home to 1,7 billion heads, or 80 percent of the global population of sheep and goats.
Mongolia, an East Asian country, reported the first outbreak of goat plague in 2016.
Due to the inadequate reaction of local veterinary services, the disease spread rapidly, endangering farms and disrupting the food chain, it says on the FAO website.
In December of the same year, goat plague infected wild antelope species, killing up to 60 percent of these animals.
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