Bulgaria’s Livestock Crisis Deepens as Deadly Diseases Sweep the Nation

A wave of disease is tearing through Bulgaria’s sheep population, leaving behind a trail of devastation and panic in the livestock industry. Over 10,000 sheep have already been euthanized in just a matter of days, a grim figure that continues to rise with no sign of the outbreak slowing.

Source: FAO

Simeon Karakolev, co-chair of the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association, didn’t mince words during a tense national television interview—he warned that the crisis is not only ongoing but could soon become far worse. As if sheep pox weren’t enough, a new threat is fast approaching: Bluetongue. This aggressive viral disease, dormant in Bulgaria for over a decade, is now creeping back across the borders, carried by biting insects like flies and mosquitoes, and evading current vaccination protections.

Karakolev pointed to alarming developments just beyond Bulgaria’s borders. North Macedonia and parts of Greece are already reporting outbreaks of the virus, and with Greece having already culled over 150,000 animals due to similar diseases, the danger of escalation is painfully clear. The warning signs are flashing—and Bulgaria may not be prepared to act fast enough.

On top of the health emergency, cracks are widening in the country’s disease containment systems. Karakolev recently witnessed firsthand how critical checkpoints near Plovdiv, one of Bulgaria’s livestock hubs, had no visible police presence or controls. Without oversight, the movement of possibly infected animals continues unchecked. He fears that some livestock may even be smuggled across borders, increasing the risk of introducing more dangerous strains.

His message was blunt: the livestock industry is in crisis, and without immediate, coordinated action, the damage may grow beyond recovery. “A fire is also raging in the sheep breeding sector,” he said grimly. “And it will not be extinguished so quickly.”