Sheep farmers from Sigmen claim that their livestock is infected with an incurable disease previously unknown in the country

Tension is rising in the village of Sigmen near Karnobat, where sheep farmers claim that their livestock is infected with an incurable disease previously unknown in the country.

The farmers say that the authorities are not taking any measures and a large number of their sheep have already died.

The farm, which houses around 2,000 sheep, began noticing a decline in the animals' health two months ago. Initially, the sheep were treated for suspected scabies as their wool started falling off. After giving birth, the newborn lambs died.

Tests for common diseases like smallpox and ovine rinderpest (sheep plague) came back negative.

"This disease hasn’t manifested here before. It manifests over time, but nobody knows when it will emerge. We insist that these two diseases—Maedi-Visna and Scrapie—be included in the list of diseases, just like smallpox, plague, and Foot and mouth disease," said Veselin Yanev, a sheep farm owner.

"Unfortunately, this disease is not included in the World Health Organization's list of highly dangerous infections that qualify for compensation. While it is not harmful to humans, it poses a significant threat to other animals," added Dr. Petar Pachev from the Regional Directorate of Food Safety in Burgas.