An outbreak of smallpox diseases of small ruminants has been detected in the village of Voynika, Straldzha municipality, Yambol region, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reports citing the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA). The disease was identified in a small livestock facility housing sheep.

The farm is currently under quarantine to control movement to and from the premises. A three-kilometre protection zone has been established around the village, complemented by a ten-kilometre surveillance zone that includes 11 villages within the Straldzha municipality in the Yambol region, namely Nedyalsko, Bogorovo, Parvenets, Lyulin, Pravdino, Aleksandrovo, Polyana, Kamenets, Saransko, Tamarino, and Leyarovo, as well as the village of Zornitsa in the Sredets municipality, Burgas region.

In compliance with European and national legislation, measures have been implemented to control and eradicate the disease. These measures include the humane culling and disposal of all infected and contact animals on the farm. An epizootic investigation is pending, and regional and municipal epizootic commissions in the Yambol and Burgas regions will convene to address the situation.

While the disease does not pose a threat to human health, its spread could result in substantial economic losses, BFSA said.