Bulgarian Food Safety Agency launches border checks amid Foot-and-Mouth disease in Cyprus, sheep pox in Greece

SOFIA, Mar 18 (BTA/APP): All shipments of large and small ruminants, other cloven-hoofed animals, and pigs crossing Bulgaria’s southern border will undergo mandatory health inspections by order of Bulgarian Food Safety Agency Executive Director (BFSA) Angel Mavrovski, BFSA said in a press release on Tuesday.

The measures come in the wake of ongoing outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus and sheep pox in Greece, as well as recently uncovered cases of illegal animal imports from Romania to Bulgaria, an unlicensed slaughterhouse near Ihtiman, and sites used for the disposal of animal carcasses.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection affecting domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs, deer, among others. No cases have been reported in Bulgaria, where the last outbreaks occurred in 2011. Cyprus currently reports 40 outbreaks, while Greece has confirmed 131 sheep pox outbreaks among sheep and goats so far in 2026.

Border inspections will take place at designated veterinary control points, and will include clinical examinations, verification of accompanying documentation, and sampling when necessary.

Enhanced clinical surveillance will also be carried out in livestock holdings at risk of Category A diseases, with priority given to the Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Kardzhali, and Haskovo regions, as well as to municipalities along transport routes from Greece.

Extraordinary checks in livestock farms will include health assessments, enforcement of biosecurity measures, verification of animal identification, and monitoring of records in the BFSA VetIS integrated information system.

Regional Food Safety Directorates will train farmers to recognize clinical signs of disease, inform them of procedures for immediate reporting to veterinary authorities, and remind them that moving animals under suspicion of illness is prohibited.

Until the measure is lifted, markets, fairs, exhibitions, competitions, and other gatherings involving animals are suspended in the regions of Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Kardzhali, and Haskovo.

Control over the unauthorized movement of animals, reproductive materials, animal by-products, animal feed, among other high-risk items from Greece will also be strengthened.