SOFIA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of the extremely dangerous animal disease Ovine Rinderpest was discovered in livestock farms in the village of Voden in southeastern Bulgaria, authorities said Thursday.
"The disease has been found for the first time in the country and the European Union (EU)," the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) said in a statement on its website.
It was confirmed by the National Diagnostic Science-and-Research Veterinary Medical Institute, and samples were sent for confirmation to the EU laboratory CIRAD in France, the statement said.
"The disease is not dangerous for humans, but it is extremely dangerous for sheep and goats," the statement said.
The presence of the disease on a given territory severely restricted the possibility of trade in animals as well as animal production, the statement said.
"The disease is spread in neighboring Turkey, but at this stage it is not clear how the disease has penetrated the country," it said.
All measures have been taken immediately to stop the spread of the disease such as setting up a three-kilometer protection zone and a 10-km observation area around the outbreak, and clinical examinations of the animals, the statement said.