$ USD
General News
Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
ATHENS – Greece has implemented a nationwide ban on the movement of livestock after more cases of the so-called Goat Plague – Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) – was found outside Thessaly to prevent their breeding, fattening and slaughter for food.
Another outbreak was found at a livestock unit in Mesino, within the Corinthia regional unit and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food said the controls were imposed to prevent the spread of the disease and eradicate it.
Authorities from the ministry and regional authorities were conducting epidemiological investigations to trace the origin of the outbreaks and potential routes of suspected imports, according to a statement.
PRP can severely affect livestock, with mortality rates ranging from 30 to 70 percent among infected animals and can spread up to 90 percent of a herd although the virus does not infect humans, but can wipe out herds.
The government had called in private and military veterinarians to try to deal with the outbreak before it was found to still be spreading, after initial tests of more than 16,500 goats and sheep that are a staple and ancient business in the country, Reuters said.
That was in mid-July when about 2,500 animals were culled – separated from flocks – all in the affected farms in the regions of Larissa and Trikala as animal health officials try to determine how the virus began.
“Of course, there will be more tests, if needed,” a government official not named told the news site, adding that, “An epidemiological investigation is being carried out to determine how it started.”
Almost 8,000 sheep and goats were buried after the first case was found in Kalambaka, the central town known for the Meteora of soaring stone formations with monasteries on top and a tourist attraction.
The head of the Larissa First Instance Prosecutor’s Office ordered an urgent investigation to find out where the virus-carrying animals came from, veterinarians said to believe it came from another country, no report how it got into Greece.
The virus causes fever, sores and lesions, labored breathing and diarrhea in infected animals. It poses no threat to human health. Authorities put the animals in quarantine and banned slaughtering across Thessaly until July 26.
More than 100 veterinarians in the public sector and the army were called into actoin to test the livestock, with additional 120,000 animals expected to be examined. “Of course, there will be more tests, if needed,” an official said. “An epidemiological investigation is being carried out to determine how it started.”
