Sixty cattle at a free range cattle farm in the area of Skiti, near Kozani, will be slaughtered after blood tests revealed more than half the animals were infected with brucellosis, the head of the local veterinary agency told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday.
The disease, caused by the Brucella bacterium, was found in more than 30 animals during a check by Kozani’s veterinary agency.
“Because the percentage of contamination is larger than 50 percent, it was decided to slaughter the entire herd and in the next few days the animals will be brought to the slaughterhouse,” Thodoros Katzoglou told ANA.
The reappearance of the Brucella bacterium in the Kozani region comes after nine years of no occurrence. Veterinarians recommend that farmers adhere religiously to the biosecurity measures proposed by the agency.
Brucellosis in humans is usually associated with the consumption of unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses made from milk that is not pasteurized from the infected animals.
Sources: ANA-MPA
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