Emergency Epizootic Situation: Sheep Pox Threatens the Kardzhali Region

Veterinary authorities officially announced the primary outbreak of an infectious disease among small ruminants in a livestock facility located in the village of Chernooki in the Krumovgrad region. Experts from the regional administration confirmed the critical epizootic situation after thorough laboratory investigations.

Immediate actions taken include the complete euthanasia of 258 sheep to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Deputy Regional Governor Kadir Muarem convened an emergency meeting of the Regional Epizootic Commission to develop preventive strategies and control mechanisms.

Strict biosecurity measures and drastic restrictions on animal movement were introduced. An expert team conducted thorough inspections in all livestock facilities within the designated quarantine zones – 3-kilometer and 10-kilometer. At present, no additional disease outbreaks have been registered in other settlements.

Local authorities warned mayors, livestock farmers, and police officers to strictly adhere to the introduced anti-epidemic protocols. Additional checks established that in the same village, there are two more livestock facilities that are currently free from the infection.

The regional epizootic situation remains extremely tense. Outbreaks have already been registered in neighboring areas – at the end of July, two villages in the Svilengrad municipality were affected. Plovdiv region continues to be among the highest risk areas, while in Smolyan there are still no officially confirmed cases, but enhanced preventive measures against the disease have been introduced.