Directly and targeted measures to deal with blessing of sheep (SPGP), who continues to seriously hit the Halkidiki area, is demanding the Vice -Mayor of Halkidiki, Catherine Zografou in a letter sent to the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Konstantinos Tsiara.

As she highlights, the epidemic has key to the prefecture breeders, threatening both local production and the economic survival of hundreds of families. “It is imperative that there is coordinated intervention by the state before the situation becomes irreversible“, He says.

Among the basic requests made in the letter includes the reassessment of epidemiological image by scientific institutions, to accurately capture the situation and better planning the problem and the Immediate financial support of breeders For feed, as restrictive measures, coupled with their already overwhelmed economic environment, have led to a deadlock.

Also, the basic requests made in the letter include the Strengthening the controls on animal commutesin cooperation with the police authorities, in order to limit the dispersion of the disease and to clarify the state’s position on the possibility of vaccination, which is confused and concerned in the livestock world.

Among other things, the letter emphasizes that the Regional Unit of Halkidiki is ready to contribute actively to the implementation of all the necessary measures, with the aim of maintaining the productive and social cohesion of the region.

No livestock

Extremely gloomy is the image that the president of the Agricultural Association of Young Sylats, a farmer Dimitris Papadakis, conveyed from the “front line”. According to RES-EIA, 3,000 animals have already been killed in Kassandra, leaving essentially the first foot of Halkidiki without livestock.

“The situation is particularly alarming and taking measures are imposed,” says Papadakis, describing in a dramatic tone the personal experience of a worker in his unit who lost 800 animals in one night.

“We are also afraid of our shadow,” he says characteristically, adding that breeders have increased bio -security measures as much as they can, but the spread of the disease continues. The focus of the crisis, according to him, is today in the areas of the new roses and Ierissos, on the third leg of Halkidiki.

What is sheep’s smallpox (SPGP) and why is it so dangerous?

Sheep pox – SPGP is a highly contagious viral disease that affects mainly sheep and, to a lesser extent, goats. It is caused by a virus of the Poxviridae family and is characterized by high fever, skin rashes and damage, pulmonary and respiratory problems, a sharp decrease in milk production and high mortality, especially in young animals.

SPGP spreads rapidly through direct contact between animals, but also indirectly, through clothes, tools and means of transport. It is not transmitted to humans, but has devastating consequences for the livestock production and economy of the rural areas.

Treatment includes the immediate killing of affected herds, applying practices to units, strict animal movement restrictions and preventive vaccination, wherever permitted.