ATHENS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A livestock farm near the Greek city of Kozani in northern Greece was placed under quarantine on Tuesday after a suspected case of sheep pox was detected, Greek national broadcaster ERT has reported.
Samples from the farm have been sent to a reference laboratory in Athens for testing, with results expected later in the day, according to ERT. If confirmed, around 200 animals on the farm will be culled as a precaution, and wider restrictions will remain in place.
Sheep pox, a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats, has spread rapidly in Greece in recent weeks. Between mid-June and late July, over 240 outbreaks were reported nationwide, raising concern among farmers and authorities.
The suspected case near Kozani, one of the regional units in Western Macedonia in northwestern Greece, follows a confirmed outbreak in neighboring Florina last month. Officials said contaminated animal feed transported from other regions, including Thessaly and Eastern Macedonia, may have contributed to the spread.
"The evidence strongly indicates the presence of the virus," Theofilos Gatzoglou, head of the Veterinary Service of Western Macedonia, told ERT. He noted that the virus can persist for months in the environment and be transmitted not only through direct contact but also via soil, feed, or vehicles moving through affected areas.
Kozani is a major livestock area, home to an estimated 250,000-300,000 sheep and goats. Authorities warned that an outbreak could cause severe economic losses, hitting both dairy production and household incomes. Quarantine zones have been established within a radius of five and 20 km of the affected farm, and movement of animals has been restricted across the wider region.
In 2024, Greece experienced large-scale outbreaks of sheep and goat pox in several regions. To contain the spread, the government introduced nationwide emergency measures in October that year, including temporary restrictions on livestock transport and breeding. ■