Foot and Mouth Disease spreads in Greece
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) continues to spread in Greece. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has confirmed 5 more outbreaks, following the recent outbreak in Lesvos. The most recent outbreaks are located in Pelopi, in the North Aegean Region of Greece.
The serotype in Greece is confirmed as SAT-1, which is the same serotype confirmed in Cyprus.
The current outbreak has occurred at various locations, with a total of 92 cases and 1536 susceptible sheep and cattle:
- Sheep farm with 550 susceptible animals and 45 confirmed cases;
- Sheep farm with 350 susceptible animals and 1 confirmed cases;
- Sheep/Cattle farm with 324 susceptible animals and 28 confirmed cases;
- Cattle farm with 23 susceptible animals and 9 confirmed cases.
Previous outbreaks were announced earlier in March in Lesvos a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey, where both cattle and sheep were impacted.
In nearby Cyprus the SAT 1 strain of FDM has been circulating where authorities have been intensely working to contain the outbreak in the Larnaca district’s livestock since its detection in late February. The majority of Cyprus outbreaks occurred in sheep, goat or sheep/goat farms, and all in close distance to the border with Turkish Cyprus. Turkey has more serotypes circulating, where FMD is rife.
