Greece prohibited the transportation of sheep and goats across the country to try to contain the highly contagious infection known as plague on small ruminants.
“The movement of sheep and goats for breeding, fattening and slaughter is prohibited throughout Greece,” the agriculture ministry said, as quoted by the BBC.
It said new cases of infection had been detected in the central Larissa region and in Corinth in the south.
The virus can kill between 80% and 100% of infected animals. It doesn’t affect people.
Over the weekend, ministry officials also held emergency meetings with local authorities in the regions where the new plague cases were detected.
EU regulations state that the entire herd must be culled once a case of the disease is confirmed, with the affected farm then disinfected.
At least 7,000 animals have already been killed in Greece since the disease first appeared in the country on July 11.
Greece has the most goats in Europe. Goat’s and sheep’s milk are used to make feta cheese – a trademark for a Greek product.
Plague of small ruminants was first reported in Côte d’Ivoire in 1942 and has since spread worldwide.
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