What a joke! 

All of a sudden the Thassian people have heard that there is an "epidemic" on their beautiful island. They start looking at each other with suspicious looks considering the possibility that their neighbour may have spent last night in a shepherd's home drinking unprocesed milk or eating Feta that has not been cured!

It is literally amazing how the press take something and make it into a crisis and not even present the facts. Just as long as they get a sensational story it is permitted to leave out the parts that the people should know. My God what rubbish can go around!!!

All that the press needed to do was send out the warning to the visitors of Thassos not to visit any goat or sheep pens or have the shepherds breakfast in Thassos, even if it is first class accommodation!!! As this would be an abnormal thing to do anyway, and most importantly, do not have sex with the sheep or goats of Thassos. Are the news media reports based on pure ignorance of the matter? Or as the summer comes do they just want to prevent their country men from coming to Thassos?  I hope that the visitors of Thassos will consider it a joke like the Thassian People have done already.

Here are the basic facts.
What happened here on the island is that a farmer and his family were drinking the fresh goat milk from their herd of goats without boiling the milk first. They were also eating the Feta (Cheese) that they were making before it had reached the end of the 3 month curing process. This happened in only one village on the entire island and only some shepherds families became ill with brucellosis.

Is it something to worry about? Of course not! Just keep readin and find out.

How is brucellosis transmitted to humans, and who is likely to become infected?
Humans are generally infected in one of three ways: eating or drinking something that is contaminated with Brucella, breathing in the organism (inhalation), or having the bacteria enter the body through skin wounds. The most common way to be infected is by eating or drinking contaminated milk products. When sheep, goats, cows, or camels are infected, their milk is contaminated with the bacteria. If the milk is not pasteurized, these bacteria can be transmitted to persons who drink the milk or eat cheeses made it. Inhalation of Brucella organisms is not a common route of infection, but it can be a significant hazard for people in certain occupations, such as those working in laboratories where the organism is cultured. Inhalation is often responsible for a significant percentage of cases in abattoir employees. Contamination of skin wounds may be a problem for persons working in slaughterhouses or meat packing plants or for veterinarians. Hunters may be infected through skin wounds or by accidentally ingesting the bacteria after cleaning deer, elk, moose, or wild pigs that they have killed.

Don't just take our word for it, go here for more information as well about Brucellosis
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/Brucellosis_g.htm

Here is a quick check list so that anyone wishing to visit Thassos can still do so and be able to enjoy their wonderful holiday and return home to talk about it.

1. Do not accept any fresh unprocessed goat milk when offered
2. Do not eat any home made feta from a shepherds home
3. Do not consume any dairy products that you aren't sure is pasteurized
4. Do not visit any sheep or goats in the mountains (Sex with them is absolutely forbidden)
5. And finally, do not sleep with the shepherds wife!!!!

There, you have it, now you will be a survivor if you follow our suggestions.
Have a safe trip to Thassos and enjoy your wonderful holidays here!