Greece has changed the rules surrounding a spreading plague after strict restrictions were put in place.

The highly contagious Peste de Petits Ruminants (PPR) was first detected on July 11 in Thessaly, central Greece.

It quickly spread to farms in neighbouring Romania, prompting authorities to cull nearly 200,000 sheep and goats in response.

PPR is highly contagious among goats and sheep and can kill up to 70 percent of those infected.

It is not a zoonosis, meaning it does not spread from animals to humans - meat and milk from infected animals are still safe for consumption. However, the disease greatly affects production due to the need to cull large numbers of animals to prevent its spread

Greece temporarily restricted the movement of goats and sheep last month as confirmed cases rose but now the country has said the ban could partially lift.

“The movement of animals for slaughter will be allowed from Monday in the regional units that have not been affected by the plague of small ruminants,” the country’s agriculture ministry said in a statement.

More than twenty farms have been infected, mostly in the centre of the country, and thousands of animals have been culled in previous weeks. Once a case is detected, the entire flock is culled, in line with protocols set by the European Union.

It presents a serious threat to Greece's domestic livestock industry and the production of its renowned feta cheese, a vital part of the country's economy. About 40 percent of Greece’s soft cheese comes from sheep and goat milk produced in Thessaly.

Greece produces around 140,000 tonnes of feta annually, with about 65 percent of it being exported, making a significant impact on the global dairy market despite Greece's relatively small size.

The World Organisation for Animal Health, based in Paris, describes PPR as having “severe morbidity and mortality rates” and causing substantial economic damage in regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, where goats and sheep are essential food sources.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, symptoms of PPR include depression, fever, nasal and ocular discharges, oral sores, respiratory distress, coughing and diarrhoea.