Nicosia, Cyprus. The foot and mouth disease outbreak in Cyprus remains stable, with vaccinations continuing and no new cases detected, veterinary association chairman Demetris Epaminondas said on Saturday. He said all samples taken from Limassol and the latest samples from Nicosia had tested negative.
Surveillance and vaccination efforts
Epaminondas said an island-wide surveillance campaign would be launched to determine antibody titres from the vaccines and establish whether the virus is present elsewhere.
He said vaccinations were proceeding throughout the Republic and were expected to be completed by the end of August or in early to mid-September.
Asked whether there was a shortage of vaccines, Epaminondas denied this and said supplies were sufficient to complete the current vaccination cycle. He added that further vaccinations for pigs were currently underway.
Cullings and seasonal conditions
Epaminondas said cullings had been completed where necessary, except for fat-tailed sheep and red cattle.
“At this time, the situation has stabilised,” he said.
He added that the upcoming summer season would also help, as hot weather would reduce the virus’ ability to survive in the environment and lower the risk of transmission.
“Combined with all the other measures being taken – namely, adherence to biosafety protocols, the vaccinations that have been administered, and the climatic conditions – this will certainly help stabilize the situation for a while and ensure we are ready for the fall,” he said.
Replacement of culled animals
When asked about efforts to replace culled animals, Epaminondas said no organised efforts had yet been launched. He said the matter was being handled by the special scientific committee for the reconstruction and upgrading of the livestock sector.