Sheeppox Virus Brings Greek Stock-Breeders to Dispair

Sheep and goat flocks successful Greece are decimated by a sheeppox outbreak. Credit: wikimedia commons / dewdrop157 CC BY 3.0

Fourteen months since the initial outbreak of sheeppox successful Greece, much than 300,000 sheep and goat livestock has been lost, costing the manufacture an estimated 350 cardinal euro and bringing stock-breeders to dispair.

The sheeppox virus, which doesn’t dispersed to humans successful immoderate mode and doesn’t walk successful the animals’ beverage connected meat, is decimating flocks crossed the country.

A 10-day program announced connected Monday called connected breeders to tighten biosecurity measures for their flocks, veterinarians to measurement up on-site inspections astatine farms and section authorities to acceptable up disinfection points to power the question of flocks crossed the country

However, authorities are informing of a imaginable nationwide prohibition connected the question of goats and sheep if the dispersed of the unwellness is inactive not contained.

“This would mean a frost connected trade. They volition not present milk, they volition not present meat, determination volition beryllium nary slaughters crossed the country,” Deputy Agriculture Minister Christos Kellas told nationalist broadcaster ERT connected Tuesday.

Meanwhile, determination is disagreement betwixt breeders and authorities astir flock vaccinations, which farmers spot arsenic the lone exit from the crisis, but the competent ministry regards arsenic a menace to the country’s feta food exports.

Existence of Greek stock-breeding astatine threat

More than 260,000 sheep and goats were culled and immoderate 1,100 farms crossed Greece were forced to unopen successful the 12 months to August arsenic sheeppox spirals retired of control, information from the agriculture ministry showed.

Dimitris Moschos, President of the Greek Stock-breeders Association (SEK) tells AMNA that the fig of sheep and goats mislaid from this microorganism lone is person to 300,000, climbing to 410,000 if we adhd those mislaid to different carnal diseases successful the past 14 months.

The fig accounts for beyong 2 percent of the country’s progressive livestock of 8 million, according to the ministry, oregon 6-7 million, according to SEK.

Greek authorities contradict stock-breeders the sheeppox vaccination of flocks

Early connected during the outbreak, stock-breeders person requested the broad vaccination of flocks against smallpox, which the competent ministry of Agricultural Development has denied connected the grounds that the vaccination does not marque the animals immune to the virus, portion it mightiness besides endanger the measurement of feta food exports.

At the moment, they argue, nary different EU state has implemented sheeppox vaccination, and specified measurement could impact the sales of Greek feta food abroad.

On the different hand, livestock breeders accidental that if vaccinations bash not rotation retired immediately, the consequences volition beryllium irrevocable. The European Commission, Moschos says, has not lone already clarified that determination is nary nationalist wellness interest from vaccinated carnal products arsenic agelong arsenic the products are pasteurized, but the bloc has besides warned the Greek authorities to standard up carnal wellness checks and see sheeppox vaccination crossed the country.

“The full superior assemblage cannot beryllium astatine hazard conscionable for feta exports,” helium pleads.

“Immediate governmental decisions, realistic measures and courageousness are needed, different Greek livestock farming risks ne'er recovering from the daze of caller years,” the stock-breeder concludes.