Greece has banned the movement of goats and sheep from farms to combat “goat plague” — a deadly viral infection — after witnessing a rise in detected cases.

Reports state that over 16,500 sheep and goats were tested for the virus, known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), following nine confirmed cases in various farm units across central Greece.

While the virus does not affect humans, it can kill up to 70% of the animals affected and infect up to 90% of the herd, severely impacting the country’s livestock industry and those dependent on it, such as cheese makers and feed suppliers.

The Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food has prohibited commercial slaughter of sheep and goats and restricted movement for their breeding and fattening, increasing existing containment efforts. Costas Tsiaras, the minister of agriculture and rural development, made the announcement.

According to new reports, two more cases of the infection were detected over the weekend in central Larissa and southern Corinth, leading to more stringent security measures. The ministry notes that the authorities detected the cases through tracking before the symptoms even appeared, following a preventive investigation by the veterinary services.

Greek authorities detected the outbreak first on July 11 in the central Thessaly region, wher more than 50 animals showed clinical signs on a farm. Since then, more than 8,000 animals have been culled, and over 200,000 have been tested. Greek authorities deployed over 100 vets in the public sector and the army last week to test the livestock.

The government is still conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine the outbreak’s source, with “suspicious” imports being one possibility.

According to the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), this is the first time PPR has been reported in Greece and only the second time the disease has been detected in the EU since outbreaks in Bulgaria in 2018.

Economic losses
Economic losses from the disease amount to up to US$2.1 billion worldwide each year, with 300 million families facing the risk of losing their livelihoods, food security and employment opportunities.

Greece’s signature feta cheese — made using goat milk — is a major contributor to its economy.

once a PPR case is detected, the entire herd is culled, and the farm is disinfected. Authorities then test animals in the surrounding areas in compliance with EU laws.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) describes the disease as “a sudden onset of depression, fever, discharges from the eyes and nose, sores in the mouth, disturbed breathing and cough, diarrhea and death.”

According to the FAO, the virus was first described in 1942 in the Ivory Coast. Since then, it has affected large regions in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

At present, over 70 countries have confirmed PPR cases within their borders, and many more are at risk of the virus being introduced.