The transport of sheep and goats in Greece has been banned by the relevant agriculture ministry for the next 10 days after sheeppox detected in herds in northern Greece was traced in two animals further south, namely, in Magnesia and Corinth prefectures, respectively.
The ban involves transport for all purposes, including the slaughter.
Ministry and regional government veterinarians have so far identified 108 instances, the majority being in the Evros prefecture on the land border with Turkey.
By estimates, some 17,500 sheep have been culled due to the most recent outbreak.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, sheep pox and goat pox, also known as “sheep and goat plague”, are viral diseases of sheep and goats characterized by fever, generalized papules or nodules, vesicles (rarely), internal lesions (particularly in the lungs), and death. Both diseases are caused by strains of Capripoxvirus, all of which can infect sheep and goats.
