Athienou, Cyprus. Two more farms were reported to have been infected with foot and mouth disease on Saturday, bringing the total number of infected farms to 110 across the island.
New infections near Athienou
Both newly reported cases involved sheep and goat farms near Athienou.
Decision pending on rare-breed animals
The veterinary services department said it has not yet decided the fate of animals belonging to rare breeds which have been diagnosed with the disease. The department said the decision will be announced “in the coming days”.
EU rules and culling requirements
Under European Union law, when an animal is found to have foot and mouth disease, every animal on that farm must be culled, though derogations are occasionally available for rare and endangered breeds.
More than 30,000 animals have already been culled.
Veterinary association position on alternatives and vaccination
Veterinary association chairman Demetris Epaminondas has said there is “no less painful alternative” to culling when attempting to stem the spread of the disease, adding that EU law on the matter is “particularly strict”.
He said vaccinations cannot replace culling as a method of preventing the disease’s spread, stating that the vaccine’s aim is “to limit the transmissibility of the disease”. He said that even a vaccinated animal, if it tests positive, must be culled, and added that animals can remain infectious for four to six months.
He said allowing infected animals to live entails the risk that the virus could be transmitted further by air, machinery, or other means affecting other units.
How do you think authorities should balance EU culling rules with protections for rare and endangered breeds?
