Balkan countries close borders to sheep and goats due to PPR outbreak

Croatia has temporarily stopped issuing permits for the import of sheep and goats from Greece and Romania, where an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) has been recorded, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency reports. It is reported that the day before, the Bulgarian authorities introduced enhanced control measures over farm animals. The country has also introduced a temporary ban on holding livestock exhibitions and fairs. Goats and sheep infected with PPR in Greece became known on July 11. This is the first large-scale outbreak in the country. By the beginning of August, the disease was detected on 22 farms, mainly in the central regions. 12 thousand heads were rejected, samples were taken from 300 thousand animals. The Greek authorities have introduced a ban on the movement and slaughter of sheep and goats, which will remain in effect until August 4 and may be extended. According to Georgios Stratakos, a spokesman for the Greek Ministry of Agriculture, the disease could ...