Goats and sheep in Thessaly hit by rinderpest
A case of ovine rinderpest has hit goats and sheep in the central Greek region of Thessaly, alarming local farmers.
The disease, known by its French acronym PPR (Peste des petits ruminants) was first discovered in France’s African colonies in 1942 and its virus does not infect humans.
Shepherds first noticed their goats and sheep feeling weak and suffering from fever on July 11 near the city of Meteora and, since then, more cases have sprung up across the region. It is the first such outbreak in Greece.
Thessaly was hit by devastating floods in September 2023 and thousands of farm animals drowned. To replenish their stock, farmers turned to a local company that had imported, cheaply, sheep and goats from Turkey without health certificates. PPR is endemic in Turkey.
A Trikala company bought the sheep and has resold them across Greece, also without certificates, said Thessaly Governor Dimitris Kouretas.
All sheep and goats close to the infected areas, more than 100,000 in just one location, will be tested over the next days, Kouretas said, and may have to be euthanized.
