North Macedonia requests sheep pox vaccines from EU and Turkey

The Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy have requested vaccine donations from the European Commission and Turkey to combat sheep pox. An expert group is meeting continuously to implement measures, and assistance has been requested from the European Commission's EUVET team.

Authorities are currently employing a ‘stamping out’ strategy. Once a response regarding vaccines is received, officials will test for safety and purity before commencing vaccination. The agencies warned that any unauthorized vaccination performed at a farmer's own expense will be sanctioned and will not qualify for compensation for lost animals.

In response to claims of uncoordinated animal disposal in the village of Sokolarci, the FVA stated that infected sheep and goats were buried according to biosafety measures, including disinfection and marking the site as a hazard zone.