Greece imposes restrictions to curb spread of sheep and goat pox

Greece's Ministry of Agriculture and Food has imposed a 10-day ban on the transport and reproduction of sheep and goats across the country after more than 100 cases of smallpox were detected in small cattle, Reuters reports. The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday evening that these were precautionary measures aimed at containing the spread of the sheep and goat pox virus. It also noted that the virus does not pose a danger to humans. Sheep and goat pox is a viral, highly contagious, acute disease that affects small cattle. The disease spreads at high speed, and is transmitted through contaminated feed, wool, equipment, soil, water, vehicles, and blood-sucking insects and ticks. A total of 104 cases of sheep and goat pox have been detected so far, most of them in the northern part of the Evros region. Almost 17,500 animals have been slaughtered. Authorities are searching for the primary source of the outbreak and, in accordance with EU regulations, testing of animals is being ...