File photo. [Shutterstock]
Two years after the first case appeared in Kastraki, near Kalambaka, Greece has regained its official status as free of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a fierce and very contagious viral disease that hits sheep, goats and wild small animals, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.
The decision followed an evaluation of data submitted by Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food. PPR can kill entire flocks but does not infect humans. Greece’s status had been suspended since July 12, 2024, after a case emerged in Thessaly and spread to other regions, prompting mass culling and movement restrictions.
Officials said surveillance cannot ease since PPR has spread elsewhere in Europe.
