National committee to be established for control of sheep pox disease
Greek Minister of Agriculture and Food Kostas Tsiaras announced the creation of a National Scientific Committee to oversee the control and management of the sheep pox outbreak. The announcement was made during a press conference focused on strengthening measures against the spread of the disease.
The committee will be chaired by Professor Haralambos Billinis, Rector of the University of Thessaly. Most members will be academic experts, while the Ministry’s Secretary-General Spyros Protopsaltis will also serve on the committee.
“We are facing a large number of cases and must develop a concrete plan based on scientific knowledge to contain the disease,” Tsiaras said, revealing that over 350,000 animals have already been culled. He added, “We will succeed in combating sheep pox. In the coming days, we will implement a comprehensive plan to create positive conditions.”
The minister also denied rumors of an impending lockdown, stating that no such measure was being considered.
Committee Structure and Role
The new body will be modeled after similar structures formed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will propose updated action plans to the ministry according to the disease’s progression and will work in cooperation with regional authorities to design science-based, practical measures.
Zero Compensation for Illegal Vaccination
The committee will also play a key role in shaping compensation policies. Minister Tsiaras stressed:
“Farmers who fail to comply with preventive measures or engage in illegal vaccination will receive zero compensation. Rule violations will be penalized.”
He added that the committee will work closely with law enforcement and prosecutors, ensuring that all culled animals are burned within 72 hours as part of strict biosecurity measures.
“All illegal activities have been reported to judicial authorities, and designated sites have been identified for the burial of slaughtered animals,” Tsiaras said, adding that €40 million in compensation payments had already been made to compliant farmers.
Warning Against Unauthorized Vaccination
Committee Chair Professor Billinis emphasized that no approved vaccine currently exists for sheep pox and warned that illegal inoculations could have severe consequences.
According to Billinis, antibody tests cannot distinguish between vaccinated animals and those that have recovered from infection. As a result, herds subjected to illegal vaccination that test positive will face mandatory culling.
He further warned that such practices could cause Greece to be classified as an “endemic country”, a status that could take over 10 years to reverse and would have serious repercussions for the nation’s livestock industry.
