You’ve heard of swine flu. You’ve heard of bird flu. You’ve just emerged from the last global sickness. But have you heard of the…goat plague?
Well, you have now.
According to the Greek Ministry of Agriculture, the transportation of goats and sheep across the country for “breeding, fattening and slaughter” is now prohibited as part of an effort to contain the contagious disease.
In a statement released on Monday, Greek officials described the virus – officially named Peste des Petits Ruminants, or PPR – is so deadly that between 80 and 100 percent of animals infected with the virus are likely to die. There is some good news, however: it doesn’t affect humans. The ban on the transportation of goat and sheep, therefore, is specifically designed to preserve the nation’s livestock and limit the spread of the disease in the hope that it eventually dies out.
The restrictions, however, are likely to cause a huge amount of harm to industries all over the country. Slaughterhouse operators will lose business, cheesemakers won’t be able to make cheese, and livestock farmers may soon have their flocks on lockdown. The alternative, however, is losing their livestock entirely.
It’s unknown at this stage just how long it will take to stop the spread.
In the meantime, officials are working to determine the origins of the virus. Ministry officials have reportedly said that it’s possible the virus emerged from “suspicious imports” from overseas.
This also isn’t the first time this has happened. As a member of the European Union, Greece is bound by existing EU-wide legislation that requires entire flocks of goat and sheep to be culled when even one case of PPR has been confirmed. Farms must then be completely disinfected before they can be reopened.
Since the first case of the disease was announced in Greece on July 11 this year, 7,000 animals have been culled. If it continues to spread – and if farmers aren’t able to protect their flocks – it could have a devastating impact on the national economy. After all, Greece is responsible for a huge amount of sheep’s cheese, with 127 exporters operating as of 2023, selling to 102 international companies.
The news comes at the worst time for farmers, too, who are still recovering from historic floods.
