The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has confirmed an outbreak of the small ruminant disease in sheep in the Velingrad region, with 90 samples testing positive and 20 more pending results. The disease, likely spread by illegal animal imports, has led to concerns of an EU export ban and economic damage. The owner of the affected herd is refusing to allow the agency to cull the animals, and the origin of the disease is being investigated with additional samples sent to a French laboratory.