The disease known as Peste des Petits Ruminants – or PPR – initially reared its head in Thessaly of northern Greece almost a month ago. It’s since spread across farms and into neighbouring Romania
A virulent ‘goat plague’ is currently causing chaos in Greece and Romania, raising concerns about its potential impact on humans.
The illness, officially known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), first emerged in the Thessaly region of northern Greece nearly a month ago. It has since spread swiftly between farms and even to neighbouring Romania, resulting in numerous animal fatalities, according to reports.
Given that feta cheese production and domestic livestock are crucial to the Greek economy, stringent measures have been implemented to curb the outbreak. However, many are questioning what this means for human health.
Despite the high mortality rate in sheep and goats, Dr Gareth Nye, a senior lecturer at Chester Medical School, assures there’s no cause for alarm regarding human health. In an exclusive interview, he told The Express: “Goat plague or its official name Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease which is known to be highly fatal in goats, sheep and other similar animals.
“Crucially it is not infectious in humans and there has never been a reported case within the UK. It can spread very quickly among susceptible animals with tens of thousands currently infected in the latest outbreak in Greece.”
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Researchers at the Pirbright Institute note that the initial symptoms of this goat plague in animals include fever, nasal discharge, and mouth sores. Animals may also experience diarrhoea and respiratory issues.
Case fatality rates can vary between 20-90%, but in a bid to prevent further spread, more than 50,000 sheep have been culled by farmers. The European Union acted promptly on July 19 and 26, introducing urgent measures for both Greece and Romania.
The instructions, ratified by The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, are geared to limit the movement of susceptible livestock to ensure trade continues in a safe and sanitary manner. “At this stage, further questions should be addressed to the Greek and Romanian responsible authorities,” stated the Commission official.
Dr Nye also concluded: “Never say never but, this disease has been around for hundreds of years and as yet, has never infected any human despite rising in areas of close animal and human interaction. This suggests it is extremely unlikely that humans will be infected.”
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