Nicosia, Cyprus. Cases of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock units in Larnaca most likely originated in the north, head of the Turkish Cypriot Veterinary Association Burak Toskoy said on Tuesday. He said it remains unclear whether the disease was transmitted from the north or originally passed from the south to the north.
Uncertainty over transmission
Toskoy said there is currently a lack of evidence confirming how the disease spread to the Republic, while acknowledging it likely came from the north. He added that rumours about the origin have circulated since the first outbreak in the north in December 2025, including claims it had been circulating in the south.
Challenges in controlling the situation in the north
The Cyprus News Agency, citing anonymous sources from the north, reported it had been informed that controlling the situation remained difficult due to limited epidemiological surveillance linked to the north’s ‘governmental’ structures. The same sources said uncontrolled movement of animals across the divide could not be fully prevented due to smuggling, which could allow further spread of infectious diseases.
Vaccination efforts
Toskoy said two-dose vaccination of cattle in the north has been completed. He said vaccination of goats and sheep, enabled through vaccines provided by the European Union, is ongoing and expected to be finalised by March.
The European Commission provided 500,000 doses of the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to the north on February 14, intended for small ruminants including goats and sheep.
First confirmed case in the Republic
Concerns about the disease spreading to the south followed the outbreak, with the first case in the Republic confirmed on Friday at a cow-breeding unit in Livadia in the Larnaca district.
What measures do you think are needed to prevent the cross-divide spread of livestock diseases?