Storyline: Greece has experienced a sharp escalation in sheep and goat pox infections in recent months, with most cases reported in the central and northern regions. As authorities step up control and prevention efforts, the outbreak has severely hit the country's livestock industry, inflicting major economic losses and sparking widespread concern among herders. Sheep and goat pox is a contagious viral disease that induces fever and a high mortality rate among infected animals but is not transmissible to humans. From August last year to June this year, Greece recorded an average of about 48 confirmed cases per month. However, since this July, cases have increased sharply, exceeding 176 per month for three consecutive months, and soaring to 328 in September, with most coming from the country's central and northern regions. Authorities have implemented strict control measures to curb the disease's spread. Once a case is confirmed, all sheep and goats within the affected flock must be culled, and a 5-kilometer radius around the site is designated as a "strictly restricted zone." Official data show that since the outbreak began, more than 320,000 sheep and goats have been culled nationwide as of the end of September. "We receive updates from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food every 15 days, informing us which areas are under strict control. Once notified, we must act immediately by continuously and thoroughly disinfecting vehicles transporting animals and feed, refrigerators storing dairy products, and even our own transport equipment," said Mayda Kodoyianni, secretary general of Attica livestock farmers association. The outbreak's impact has rippled across the entire livestock supply chain. The Hellenic Livestock Association, the largest livestock organization in the country, estimates that the epidemic has caused losses of up to 350 million euros, affecting herders, feed suppliers, farmers, and even downstream industries. "When the livestock industry is hit by a sheep pox outbreak, the impact will spread to other related sectors - even the national economy. Everyone including us, from feed suppliers and farmers to yogurt cup companies, will not be immune from it," said Kodoyianni. In response, the Greek government has rolled out a series of containment measures, including extending operating hours of disinfection stations and deploying drones to monitor movements of the flocks. Shotlist: Athens, Greece - Oct 15, 2025: 1. Various of sheep, goats, herdsmen 2. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Mayda Kodoyianni, secretary general, Attica livestock farmers association: "We receive updates from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food every 15 days, informing us which areas are under strict control. Once notified, we must act immediately by continuously and thoroughly disinfecting vehicles transporting animals and feed, refrigerators storing dairy products, and even our own transport equipment." 3. Various of sheep, goats, herdsmen 4. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Mayda Kodoyianni, secretary general, Attica livestock farmers association: "When the livestock industry is hit by a sheep pox outbreak, the impact will spread to other related sectors - even the national economy. Everyone including us, from feed suppliers and farmers to yogurt cup companies, will not be immune from it." 5. Various of sheep, goats, herdsmen. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]