SAT1, a serotype previously confined to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, was confirmed in Cyprus in February 2026 and on the Greek island of Lesbos in March 2026, infecting over 4,400 animals across 76 farms

Outbreaks in cattle and sheep in Cyprus (February) and Greece (March) involve the SAT1 serotype, distinct from the 2025 European strains, raising the risk of a new introduction pathway from Africa via the Eastern Mediterranean