Sheep and goat pox hits 22 farms in Central Greece
A fast-spreading outbreak of sheep and goat pox has forced authorities in Thessaly in Central Greece to impose a strict quarantine through the end of August, raising alarm among livestock farmers and local officials.
The measure includes a ban on transporting animals, which prevents herders from reaching critical summer grazing lands, leading to animal losses, feed waste and mounting economic damage, state broadcaster ERT reported on Thursday.
The mayor of one of the hardest-hit municipalities, Dimitris Nasikas, told ERT in the city of Volos that 22 of the region’s roughly 300 sheep and goat farms have already been affected – mostly in the villages of Kanalia and Rizomylos – with a new case recently reported in Velestino. The true extent of the outbreak, experts warn, may be greater than official figures suggest.
Farmers have also voiced anger over the government’s slow response to this and similar pox outbreaks, demanding immediate compensation and the cremation of infected livestock where burial is not feasible.
“We need more than short-term fixes; we need real support to rebuild our sector,” Mayor Nasikas said.
