The results of the samples taken from the infected herds near Velingrad are 100% reliable. This was stated in "The day begins with Georgi Ljubenov" Deyan Stratev - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food.
Stratev pointed out that the Greek laboratory to which some farmers sent samples from their animals is private and does not have the necessary certificate to prove that the results are valid.
"There you can see the certificate - it has the number 9001 from 2015, which is for the quality management of a given company, not the one we need to see. We are interested in whether the relevant laboratory has called ISO standard 17/025, which is self testing and calibration of the laboratory and proves that the results are 100% valid. The owners sent samples to a private laboratory, not the national Greek one.
Stratev also said that the Bulgarian National Reference Laboratory is included in the EU list of laboratories that can diagnose this disease.
"There is one last option, which is to send samples to the European Reference Laboratory, but again they have to be processed first in our national laboratory.
The deputy minister explained that the affected animals were treated several times by private veterinarians and after unsuccessful treatment, the veterinarian in charge of the farm was contacted.
"A registered veterinarian is responsible for each farm, but he, in turn, is obliged, when there is a suspicion of illness, to seek the veterinarians of the regional food safety services. The samples are positive for plague of small ruminants", BNT reported.
In his words, the disease was transmitted after a probable unregulated import of animals.
The compensation provided for the affected farmers is over BGN 700,000. After the destruction of the animals within 3 working days, the owners must submit an application to the regional directorate of food safety, after which an act is drawn up, on the basis of which the funds are paid out.