There were 76 recorded cases of foot-and-mouth disease in 116 positive farms on Lesvos between 15 March and 4 May, according to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
During the same period 674 farms were examined, namely 575 sheep farms, 12 goat farms, 15 cattle farms and 72 mixed farms.
An additional 22,957 animals were tested by blood sampling, while a total of 36,089 samples were received at the National Reference Laboratory for laboratory testing.
In the same update, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry calls on livestock farmers, traders, transporters, slaughterhouses, dairy enterprises and everyone involved in the production and distribution chain to strictly comply with the instructions of the competent veterinary authorities. Compliance with the measures is critical to contain the disease, protect livestock and shield the island’s production.
As highlighted, FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting bipedal animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats and pigs, and is characterised by high transmissibility and rapid spread.
It is transmitted both by direct contact and indirectly, through contaminated objects, vehicles, equipment or human activity, and can also be transmitted aerially, significantly increasing the risk of infection of neighbouring farms.
Finally, it points out that it is not transmissible to humans and does not pose a threat to public health, but it is among the most dangerous diseases of production animals and requires the immediate implementation of strict control, biosecurity and movement restriction measures.
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