Nicosia, Cyprus. Control measures remained in place on Saturday as Cyprus continued efforts to stem the spread of foot and mouth disease detected earlier this month in the Larnaca district.
Nationwide restrictions and surveillance zone
A nationwide ban on the movement of livestock and feed remained in place, while a 10-kilometre surveillance zone continued to be enforced.
No new cases reported, vaccination programme expands
Veterinary services department spokeswoman Sotiria Georgiadou said on Friday that no new cases had been detected. She said all cows within a three-kilometre radius of the first recorded case had been vaccinated, and that vaccinations were under way for cows within a 10-kilometre radius.
Georgiadou said steps had also been taken to order vaccines for pigs.
Vaccine deliveries and vaccination priorities
Georgiadou said 529,000 vaccine doses sent by the European Commission were expected to arrive in Cyprus on Saturday. She said the shipment would complement 60,000 doses sent this week by the Turkish Cypriot authorities, and she called on the public to remain calm and follow instructions.
She said cows were being vaccinated first because they are more vulnerable, followed by pigs, with sheep and goats to be vaccinated afterward. She said pigs are very vulnerable and can reproduce the virus in large quantities when infected, adding that sheep and goats around pig pens are also high on the vaccination priority list.
Pig testing and confinement
Asked whether pigs were being tested for the disease, Georgiadou said pigs are in complete confinement.
Ongoing culling and burial site search
Georgiadou reiterated remarks from Thursday that the situation remains critical and at an early stage. Asked about the killing of animals, she said culling is ongoing and that the veterinary services department continues to look for suitable burial sites within set specifications.
What instructions have authorities asked you to follow during the current restrictions?
