site.btaNew Brucellosis Outbreak in SW Bulgaria

New Brucellosis Outbreak in SW Bulgaria

Sofia, November 27 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has reported a new focus of brucellosis in the village of Kochan near the southwestern town of Blagoevgrad. The infected animals, 22 sheep and goats, will have to be destroyed, Agriculture and Food Minister Dessislava Taneva told journalists on Friday.

Taneva said there was no information about the origin of the disease, but presumed a breach of the measures put in place when the disease first broke out in the summer. The Agriculture Minister said unregulated import of animals from Bulgaria's neighbours was the suspected cause of the infection.

A brucellosis outbreak in the southwestern town of Rila was first reported on July 29.

In humans, the disease can be caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals. More rarely, the bacteria can spread through the air or through direct contact with infected animals. Brucellosis symptoms may include fever, joint pain and fatigue. The infection can usually be treated successfully with antibiotics.