SOFIA, (PNA/Xinhua) — Bluetongue disease could spread across Bulgaria by end-September, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) said Tuesday.
Currently, the disease has spread to 241 settlements in 22 regions of the country, with 1,241 dead sheep, BFSA said. It was found this year for the first time on June 30 in the village of Mandritsa at the border with Greece, it added.
According to data from other countries, the spread speed of Bluetongue disease of ruminants transmitted by blood-sucking insects was from 15 to 30 km a week but in Bulgaria the speed was significantly higher, BFSA said.
Huge amounts of rainfall and strong winds over the country heavily contributed to the wide dissemination of the disease, the agency said.
BFSA has taken measures to limit the spread of the disease such as prohibiting the movement of susceptible animals from affected areas and prohibition of night grazing, it said.
The agency has held meetings with veterinary authorities of Greece, Macedonia and Albania, the press release said.
Bluetongue disease hit Bulgaria in 1999, killing about 1,000 sheep in three regions near the border with Turkey, BFSA said.