All Animals in Plovdiv Region Farm Culled After Sheep Pox Outbreak

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has detected an outbreak of sheep and goat pox in the town of Parvomay.

The disease was confirmed at a small farm with 30 animals, which were not intended for commercial sale but for personal consumption, said Dr Mihail Krastev, Director of the Plovdiv Regional Food Safety Directorate.

Dr Mihail Krastev, Director of the Plovdiv Regional Food Safety Directorate: "We received the report late in the evening on 20 June and immediately took action. Early the following morning, samples were collected, transported to Sofia and tested. The results came back positive. On 22 June, the animals were humanely euthanised and disposed of under official supervision, in accordance with the regulations."

A five-kilometre protection zone has already been established, covering almost all settlements in the municipality of Parvomay.

Dr Mihail Krastev, Director of the Plovdiv Regional Food Safety Directorate: "The measures include restrictions on the movement of small ruminants, monitoring of vehicles collecting milk, and enhanced biosecurity in all farms across the area, not only within the five-kilometre zone but also within the 15-kilometre surveillance zone. The aim of these measures is to prevent the spread of the virus. We acted swiftly precisely to stop the disease from spreading and to protect the sector."

In this case, the farmer will not receive compensation because some of the animals were not properly identified, Dr Krastev explained. He also reiterated the recommendations for livestock owners if they notice problems within their herds.

Dr Mihail Krastev, Director of the Plovdiv Regional Food Safety Directorate: "Our recommendation is that farmers maintain close contact with local veterinary practitioners or the official veterinary authorities. Biosecurity measures must be observed, regular disinfection should be carried out, contact between herds should be prevented, and animals should not be taken out to graze at present, as the environment is saturated with the virus, which is highly resilient. Allowing animals to leave their holdings is extremely dangerous under the current circumstances."

Last summer, 140 outbreaks of sheep and goat pox were recorded in the Plovdiv region, resulting in the culling of thousands of sheep. The regional authorities hope that the measures introduced at the time will prevent a similar situation from developing again.

In addition to monitoring farms and livestock owners, the authorities are maintaining strict oversight of livestock markets, while every reported case is being investigated promptly.

This is the first outbreak recorded in the Plovdiv region in the past five months.