There have been 22 confirmed cases of plague peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in Greece so far. According to current data, twenty of these cases are located in Thessaly, one in Corinth, and one in Attica. Additionally, 10,768 animals have been slaughtered, with another 2,000 expected to be culled soon.

As emphasised by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Giorgos Stratakos, who attended the emergency meeting of the Attica Region, “we are currently in the phase of scientific investigation. We are awaiting results from the veterinarians involved in this matter.”

He added that all animal movements are being traced, noting, “when we came to take samples in Attica, as we did in Corinth, it was not random. It was done by following specific animal flows and observing which animals have entered and exited from the initially infected units.”

He also highlighted that “every time we have a confirmed case in a unit, according to the European protocol, the entire herd is culled or health-buried, followed by disinfection of the unit and quarantine.”

It is worth noting that just yesterday, by decision of the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, the movement of sheep and goats for breeding, fattening, and slaughter was prohibited throughout Greece. This decision was made for preventive reasons, aiming to limit the spread and eradicate PPR.