site.btaBulgarian Food Safety Agency Forms Crisis Taskforce to Combat Potential Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks

Foot-and-mouth disease is closing in on the Bulgarian border, and a national operational crisis taskforce has been established, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) reported on Wednesday. According to the agency, the first outbreak in Greece has been confirmed on the island of Lesbos after 40 outbreaks of the disease were identified in Cyprus earlier this week. 

The taskforce, headed by BFSA Deputy Executive Director Krasimir Kolev, will lead, control and coordinate measures for disease prevention, as well as those for limiting and eliminating outbreaks of diseases. The goal is to prevent the spread of diseases that lead to the loss of animals and destroy farmers' livelihood.

BFSA will work in close cooperation with regional governments and municipalities to prepare and coordinate between institutions for management and preparedness in the event of a crisis. At a meeting with local authorities on Wednesday, specific measures were identified for their more active participation in early warning and control over the unregulated transport of animals, illegal markets and fairs, as well as the organization of events with commercial activity without the necessary registration under the Food Act. Interaction with the Interior Ministry was also on the agenda.

On Wednesday, caretaker Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Hristanov announced that his Ministry, the BFSA and the Interior Ministry are launching a joint campaign titled "Clean Food". The campaign has no deadline and will be very intense around Easter and St George's Day and will continue after that.