Larnaca, Cyprus. Authorities said on Tuesday that the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus remains confined to 22 livestock units in the Larnaca district, with culling and vaccination operations continuing.
Culling and testing continue
Veterinary services spokeswoman Sotiria Georgiadou said that by Monday night around 1,300 sheep and goats had been culled in Aradippou and Livadia, with another 2,700 scheduled on Tuesday.
“Today the situation is stable. Epidemiological investigations, sampling and laboratory tests are continuing with negative results so far,” she said.
Vaccination programme and vaccine supply
Vaccinations are continuing under the supervision of private veterinarians, with an additional 26,000 doses procured to cover 42 units within the infected zone.
Georgiadou said a total of 529,000 vaccine doses for sheep, goats and cattle arrived from France before regional airport closures, and distribution to private veterinarians began immediately.
“Almost all units within a three-kilometre radius of the first cases have now been vaccinated,” she said.
Compensation assessments
Authorities are assessing the market value of infected animals, feed, hay and milk to calculate compensation for farmers.
Mandatory measures and ongoing monitoring
Georgiadou said culling is mandatory under animal health legislation.
“You don’t go and kill an animal or a herd unless you have a laboratory result that tells you that the unit is infected,” she said, adding that animals will also be culled if they become infected after vaccination.
Veterinary services said they continue to monitor infected and surrounding units, enforcing strict biosecurity, cleaning and protection measures.
How do you think the ongoing vaccination and monitoring efforts will affect the containment of the outbreak?
