Sheep and goat plague won’t halt production of feta, say Greek farmers

A cheesemonger in Athens. The peste des petits ruminants is highly contagious. Photograph: John Kolesidis/Reuters

Greek farmers have denied that production of feta cheese is likely to be hit hard by the outbreak of a deadly virus among goats and sheep that has led to the culling of thousands of animals.

Livestock industry officials sought to dispel fears that the cheese, a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet, could be imperilled because of the rate at which the highly infectious disease has spread.