A highly contagious ‘goat plague’ is currently wreaking havoc in Greece and Romania – but does it pose a threat to humans?
The disease known as Peste des Petits Ruminants – or PPR – initially reared its head in Thessaly of northern Greece almost a month ago. Since then, it has rapidly spread from farm to farm and even neighbouring Romania, leading to the death of countless animals, according to reports.
With the production of feta cheese and domestic livestock a key pillar of Greece’s economy, security measures are now enforced to limit its alarming spread. But that being said, you may wonder what this means for you?
Despite its alarming death rate among sheep and goats, Dr Gareth Nye – a senior lecturer at Chester Medical School – claims there’s no reason to panic about its impact on human health. In an exclusive interview, he told The Express: “Goat plague or its official name Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease which is known to be highly fatal in goats, sheep and other similar animals.
“Crucially it is not infectious in humans and there has never been a reported case within the UK. It can spread very quickly among susceptible animals with tens of thousands currently infected in the latest outbreak in Greece.”
According to disease researchers at the Pirbright Institute, the first symptoms of this goat plague include a fever, nasal discharge and sores in the mouth among animals. Diarrhoea and respiratory difficulties may also occur too.
Case fatality rates can vary between 20-90%, though more than 50,000 sheep have also been culled by farmers in order to prevent further spread. The European Union took swift action on July 19 and 26 as well, implementing urgent measures for both Greece and Romania.
The instructions, ratified by The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, are geared to limit the movement of susceptible livestock to ensure trade continues in a safe and sanitary manner. “At this stage, further questions should be addressed to the Greek and Romanian responsible authorities,” stated the Commission official.
Dr Nye also concluded: “Never say never but, this disease has been around for hundreds of years and as yet, has never infected any human despite rising in areas of close animal and human interaction. This suggests it is extremely unlikely that humans will be infected.”