Greek authorities in the northeastern Evros border region are on alert after Turkish officials reported an outbreak of a highly contagious livestock disease near the frontier, state ERT television reported Friday.
Disinfectant measures are being taken at border crossings, while customs workers have been instructed to block imports of Turkish cheese, particularly soft varieties that may not have undergone pasteurization.
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was reported about 50 kilometers east of the border. It comes as Greece is suffering an epidemic of sheep and goat pox, which broke out in 2024, as well as a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth – the country’s first in 25 years – that so far has been confined to the eastern island of Lesvos.
Greek livestock breeders in the border region have been instructed to keep their animals away from the Evros river, which runs along most of the Greek-Turkish land border.
Foot-and-mouth is highly contagious among livestock, but does not affect humans.