An outbreak of sheep and goat plague in Southeast Europe has prompted governments in the region to tighten border controls to prevent the spread of the disease. 

The virus, officially known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), is believed to have first occurred in Romania last month, and is now rife in Greece and threatens to spread through Bulgaria and other Balkan countries.

PPR is a very contagious viral disease that affects small ruminants. The virus responsible for PPR is closely related to the rinderpest virus. First identified in the Ivory Coast in 1942, the disease is prevalent across Africa and Asia, and it has also been detected in Turkey and Northern Africa. PPR spreads through direct contact between animals, and causes annual losses of up to $2.1bn, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 

The virus reached the EU for the first time in 2018, when it spread into Bulgaria from Turkey. At that time, authorities managed to stop the epidemic by culling around 2,000 livestock and imposing lockdowns on several villages.

In the current outbreak, the first case of PPR in Romania was identified on July 15, at a sheep fattening operation in Tulcea, located near the Black Sea coast.

In an update on August 9, the National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) said there were 56 outbreaks in the country, with a total of 232,283 affected animals. This included 48 outbreaks in Tulcea county, and smaller numbers in Constanta, Timis and Ialomita counties. 

In response, authorities in Bucharest have implemented restrictions on the movement of live sheep and goats alongside other measures. 

ANSVSA calls for the support of farmers in the sheep and goat sector, as well as citizens, to apply biosecurity measures, immediately notify the veterinary services of animal suspicions and comply with all the measures ordered by the authorities to prevent the spread of this disease on the territory of the country," a statement from the agency said. 

The wave of infections in Greece is believed to have been triggered by live animals imported from Romania into the central Thessaly region. 

In Greece, where the outbreak has already caused significant damage, officials have quarantined livestock farms and over 18,335 sheep and goats have been culled or are scheduled to be culled in the coming days throughout Greece, according to the agriculture ministry. 

Officials have sought to reassure citizens that there are currently no shortages related to the outbreak. Yet, despite the reassurances, concerns persist, particularly regarding the supply of feta, a Greek cheese made from both sheep and goat's milk. Greece produces over 140,000 tons of feta annually.

The European Union has deployed health inspectors to Greece and Romania and is prepared to take further action to prevent the virus from spreading to other countries.

Bulgarian authorities are intensifying efforts to halt the virus. Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency (BABH) said earlier this month it has ordered the disinfection of all vehicles crossing the country’s borders, which began on August 5.

“The measure is in addition to the actions already taken by the Agency, including strengthening the control of any consignment of live small ruminants destined for rearing or immediate slaughter originating in the countries concerned; carrying out clinical examinations and sampling for testing the presence of the virus in animals for further rearing; enhanced pre-slaughter and post-slaughter examination of animals for immediate slaughter,” BABH said in a statement.

In response to confirmed cases of the plague in Greece and Romania, Albania has introduced a ban on the import and transit of live animals and animal products from the affected countries. Checkpoints have been established on major roads and at border crossings, staffed by police officers and veterinary services. The ban will remain in effect until further notice. 

Global health authorities are aiming to eradicate PPR by 2030 through widespread vaccination, hoping to replicate the success of the 2011 eradication of ovine rinderpest, a biologically similar disease that affected cattle.