Country in grip of cattle plague

The detection of sheep and goat plague in Greece has highlighted the inadequacies and shortcomings in the system for monitoring live animal imports, as well as the mechanism of restrictions on sheep and goat farms.

The affected farms are those that produce milk for cheese production, particularly feta, because the increased demand for sheep and goat meat during the summer, caused by tourism, is met by imports. However, the disease cannot be transmitted to people by the animals themselves or by the intake of milk and cheese. In any event, heat treatment ensures the products' safety.

Greece has confirmed 22 cases of rinderpest in cattle, with 20 detected in Thessaly, Central Greece, one in Corinth, Peloponnese and one in Attica.

To date, 10,768 animals have been slaughtered, and another 2,000 are expected to be culled soon.

The disease, also known by its...