Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Thessaly, Giorgos Valiakos, member of the Scientific Council of the Mediterranean One Health Innovation Center (MED-OHC), participates in the National Group of Experts for the diseases listed in Annex 1 of Presidential Decree 138/1995, established by decision of the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christos Kellas.

The National Group of Experts will closely monitor the progress of the control of diseases such as rinderpest, peste des petits ruminants, bluetongue, sheep and goat smallpox, etc.

The Group will also support the work of the National Center for Disease Control in maintaining disease preparedness, advise and assist in the development and preparation of Contingency Plans, and assist the National Center for Disease Control in the design and implementation of training programs and simulation exercises. In addition, in the event of a suspected outbreak, it will work with Local Disease Control Centers to assess the clinical picture and epidemiological situation and provide advice.

Equally important will be the work of the National Expert Group in the event of an outbreak. In particular, in the case of a primary outbreak, it will assess the clinical picture and analyse the epidemiological survey in order to collect the necessary data to determine the origin of the infection, the date of introduction of the infectious agent, the possible spread of the disease, etc.

It will also provide instructions and guidance on sampling, laboratory testing, control measures and any accompanying measures to be applied, the strategy to be followed, as well as instructions and guidance on biosecurity issues on farms, in slaughterhouses, border inspection posts and means of transport, and on emergency vaccination.