For the first time since 2018, outbreaks of sheep and goat pox have been reported in Europe. The disease has now been confirmed in several instances in both Greece and Romania, according to a press release from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen).
In Greece, the first case was detected on July 11. Since then, Greek authorities have tested over 200,000 animals and culled more than 9,000. The outbreak is primarily concentrated in the Thessaly region. To prevent further spread, authorities announced a ban on the transportation of sheep and goats across the country as of Monday.
Romania declared an outbreak of sheep and goat pox on July 19, eight days after the first case was discovered. In the subsequent week, the disease spread rapidly, prompting authorities to cull nearly 58,000 sheep and goats, according to Reuters.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration assesses that the risk of Danish sheep and goat herds becoming infected is very low. The nearest outbreak to the Danish border is located in Romania, approximately 1,400 kilometers away from Denmark. To maintain this low-risk assessment, the administration emphasizes that vehicles transporting ruminants from abroad must be thoroughly cleaned after unloading.
Sheep and goat pox is a viral disease closely related to, among others, the cattle plague virus and the measles virus. Goats are more susceptible than sheep, and typically, an infected animal dies within five to ten days. Infected cattle, on the other hand, do not show clinical symptoms, and deer can also become infected and thereby spread the disease further.
Sheep and goat pox has never been reported in Denmark, and the disease does not infect humans.