Bulgaria's food safety agency (BABH) has found two new outbreaks of sheep and goat pox. The primary outbreak is on a farm in the village of Ravno Pole, Elin Pelin municipality, Sofia region. The secondary one is in Haskovo.

The Ravno Pole farm has 180 sheep and goats, and the Haskovo site has 122. Around each outbreak, officials have set up a 5 km protection zone and a 20 km surveillance zone.

The protection zone around Haskovo covers the city and the villages of Vaglarovo and Konush. The surveillance zone is larger and extends beyond the region.

In Haskovo municipality, it takes in Aleksandrovo, Garvanovo, Golemantsi, Gorno Voyvodino, Galabets, Dineva, Dolno Voyvodino, Dolno Golemantsi and Zornitsa. It also includes Klokotnitsa, Knizhovnik, Kozlets, Koren, Krivo Pole, Lyubenovo, Malevo, Manastir, Mandra, Maslinovo, Momino, Nikolovo, Nova Nadezhda, Orlovo, Podkrepa, Rodopi, Stambolijski, Stoykovo, Teketo, Trakiets, Uzundzhovo and Shiroka Polyana, all in the same municipality.

The zone also covers the city of Dimitrovgrad and the villages of Bodrovo, Brod, Voden, Gorski Izvor, Dobrich, Kasnakovo, Krepost, Krum, Svetlina, Chernogorovo and Yabalkovo in Dimitrovgrad municipality. In Mineralni Bani municipality, it takes in Bryastovo, Boyan Botevo, Vinevo, Karamantsi, Kolets, Mineralni Bani, Sirakovo, Spahievo, Susam, Sarnitsa and Tatarevo. In Stambolovo municipality, it includes Balkan, Gledka, Zhalti Bryag, Kralevo, Stambolovo and Tsareva Polyana.

The zone also reaches Kardzhali region. In Kardzhali municipality, it covers Beli Plast, Zvinitsa, Krin, Lyulyakovo, Sokolyane, Most, Chereshitsa and Yastreb. In Chernoochene municipality, it covers Petelovo, Pchelarovo, Lyaskovo and Minzukhar. In Plovdiv region, it includes the village of Voden in Parvomay municipality.

The protection zone near Ravno Pole includes the town of Elin Pelin and the village of Ravno Pole. It also covers Gorni Bogrov, Dolni Bogrov, Kazichene and Krivina in Sofia municipality. The surveillance zone there covers settlements in the municipalities of Gorna Malina, Elin Pelin, Ihtiman, Samokov and Sofia, including the city of Sofia.

In Gorna Malina municipality, the zone includes Aprilovo, Belopoptsi, Gaytanevo, Gorna Malina, Dolna Malina, Negushevo and Osoitsa. In Elin Pelin municipality, it includes Bogdanliya, Gabra, Grigorevo, Doganovo, Eleshnitsa, Elin Pelin, Karapoltsi, Krushovitsa, Lesnovo, Novi Han, Ognyanovo, Petkovo, Potop, Lozen, Stolnik and Churek. In Ihtiman municipality, it includes Balyovtsi, Vakarel, Kostadinkino, Popovtsi and Selyanin, and in Samokov municipality it includes Dolni Okol.

In Sofia municipality, the surveillance zone takes in the towns of Buhovo, Novi Iskar and Sofia, and the villages of Bistritsa, Busmantsi, Voynegovtsi, German, Dolni Pasarel, Zheleznitsa, Zhelyava, Kokalyane, Kubratovo, Lokorsko, Negovan, Pancharevo, Podgumer, Svetovrachene, Chepintsi and Yana.

Sheep and goats cannot be moved in the towns and villages of the protection and surveillance zones. The only exception is for animals taken to immediate slaughter under certain conditions. Animals must be kept indoors. Raw milk from the affected areas is subject to special legal rules on transport and processing.

Farms in both zones will have their animals counted, their data updated in the VetIS integrated information system, and an official veterinary check. The rules to control and eradicate the disease follow EU and Bulgarian law.

BABH says pox is not dangerous to people, but it causes heavy economic losses when it spreads. The agency called on farmers to be more watchful and to follow biosecurity rules strictly. Regular checks of the animals help find the disease early, and quick reporting limits its spread.

Farmers who suspect pox in their sheep or goats must tell a vet at once. Reports are taken around the clock on the BABH hotline: 0 700 122 99.

Earlier this week, a primary outbreak of the disease was also confirmed on a farm in the village of Petrovo, Stara Zagora municipality, where there are 72 animals.