Bulgaria to begin emergency vaccination of animals against Scrapie

The Bulgarian government has changed its approach to combating Scrapie outbreaks among sheep. Following a meeting of the Operational Crisis Staff to determine measures for preventing the spread and eliminating the disease, a decision was made to develop criteria for starting emergency animal vaccination.

Current Situation and Spread

Currently, eight outbreaks of Scrapie have been registered in the country. Two of them were established today, while the others were discovered over the last two weeks. One of the most serious manifestations is in the village of Teshowo, where 220 animals have been culled due to the disease outbreak.

Until now, the state did not allow the vaccination of animals against Scrapie, citing concerns that this would affect the commercial interests of dairy exporters. However, the nature of the epidemic situation now requires an upgrade of the actions taken so far.

Problems with Veterinary Control and Trust

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Prof. Krum Nedelkov emphasized the critical role of veterinarians in the early detection of the infection. He called for closer cooperation between institutions, practicing veterinarians, and livestock farmers.

Prof. Nedelkov noted that in recent cases, signals regarding the disease came from industry organizations rather than through the official veterinary channels. According to him, this is a sign of a lack of trust, which poses a risk, as any delay in official measures could lead to a new spread of the virus.

Strengthened Measures and Inspections

Strengthened inspections will be conducted in the affected areas, which will also include representatives from the Ministry of Interior (MoI).