Aradippou, Cyprus. Burials of livestock culled after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Larnaca district have begun, Aradippou mayor Christodoulos Partou said on Saturday.
Burial process begins in Aradippou
Partou said work started in Aradippou to bury animals from a livestock unit where positive cases were identified. He said the unit has more than 4,000 sheep and goats, and that the burial will follow an established protocol.
Search for suitable burial sites continues
Veterinary services department spokeswoman Sotiria Georgiadou said the department is continuing to look for the most suitable burial sites within its specifications. She said sites must be carefully chosen to avoid contaminating groundwater and soil, and so the National Guard can be informed.
Assessment of outbreak and focus on pig farms
Partou said Cyprus is on the right track in its response, noting that no other positive cases were identified on Friday. He also said there are several pig farms within Aradippou’s municipal boundaries and that pigs require a different vaccine from those given to cows.
He said pig pens must be protected, adding that symptoms in sheep and goats are milder and that protecting pigs from possible infection is necessary. Partou said Cyprus is on the right track but that there is still a long way to go until a final resolution.
Vaccination priorities outlined by veterinary services
Georgiadou said on Friday that cows are being vaccinated first because they are more vulnerable, with pigs to receive the vaccine next, followed by sheep and goats. She said pigs are very vulnerable and, when infected, reproduce the virus in very large quantities, adding that sheep and goats around pig pens are also high on the vaccination priority list.
How do you think authorities should balance rapid disease control with environmental safeguards when selecting burial sites?