The disease is more contagious than plague, but it does not spread to humans – A meeting will be held this afternoon at the Ministry of Agricultural Development to decide on measures.

The health authorities of the country are on alert due to the spread of sheeppox cases, with the detection of new cases in Corinth and Magnesia raising concerns.

A case was discovered in a facility in Kanalia, Magnesia. A sample was sent to Athens for testing, and the results confirmed it was positive. Another case was identified in the Peloponnese, specifically in Corinth.

As a result, a meeting is scheduled around 5:00 p.m. today between the Minister of Agricultural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, regional governors, deputy regional governors, and livestock organizations to assess the extent of the spread and the necessary steps to be taken.

According to protothema.gr, a set of measures is expected to be decided upon to not only contain the spread but also to identify as many cases as possible in livestock units across the country. One of the measures being considered is a ban on the movement of animals for at least 10 days, which would effectively close slaughterhouses nationwide.

The measures will be reviewed regularly, given that sheeppox is much more contagious compared to plague. Officials mentioned that for the lifting of measures during a plague outbreak, an area had to remain case-free for around 25 days, whereas for sheeppox, this period can extend to six months, as the disease can be transmitted through birds. It is noted that sheeppox does not spread to humans.

Authorities remain on alert but are optimistic that they will manage the situation, as they did with the plague and a previous sheeppox outbreak in the region of Phthiotis.