Greece faces a sheep and goat pox epidemic, choosing culling over vaccination due to feta cheese export concerns.
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Greece is facing a dilemma regarding a sheep and goat pox epidemic that has caused the culling of nearly half a million animals, with 1985 confirmed cases across 2449 farms. Despite recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health and the European Commission to vaccinate, the Greek government is opting for culling. Experts suggest culling is the most effective and fastest method to control the highly resilient virus, especially given the risk of transmission by insects over long distances. Furthermore, the decision to cull is economically linked to the feta cheese industry, as vaccination could lead to Greece losing its disease-free status, imposing strict export restrictions on its protected feta cheese, which is a major export. In contrast, the Lithuanian authorities state that the risk of the virus entering Lithuania is low because of strict import controls and the fact that countries where the disease is present implement strict control measures. However, experts note that the virus could potentially enter Lithuania through the import of asymptomatic animals or contaminated transport.
