The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, chaired a high-level meeting at the Maximos Mansion on Tuesday to address the ongoing outbreak of goatpox, a viral disease affecting goats and sheep across parts of the country.
The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, regional governors from affected areas, and scientific experts, including Professor Charalampos Billinis, virologist and head of the National Scientific Committee for Goatpox Management.
Authorities emphasized that strict biosecurity measures, not vaccination alone, are the key to controlling the disease. The committee warned that the “vaccine versus biosecurity” debate is misleading, stressing that without rigorous implementation of containment strategies, no method can stop the virus.
Affected regions have implemented protection and surveillance zones with strict restrictions on animal movement. Military veterinarians have been deployed to enforce these measures, which include stamping out infected livestock and monitoring surrounding areas within 3 to 10 kilometers of infection sites.
The region of Epirus, whose economy relies heavily on livestock farming, has already managed to contain the outbreak, and its governor, Alexandros Kachrimanis, participated in the meeting to share lessons learned. Other governors from Central Macedonia, Thessaly, Western Greece, and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace also attended.
The Greek authorities stressed that cooperation between all stakeholders—from government ministries to regional authorities and law enforcement—is essential to eliminate the disease and protect the agricultural sector.
