Nicosia, Cyprus. The Republic’s authorities have not been briefed on the latest developments regarding the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the north, veterinary services director Christodoulos Pipis said on Saturday. He said checks recommended by the European Commission found no cases in the Republic.
Checks in the Republic
Pipis said the authorities carried out checks recommended by the European Commission to identify potential incidents in a timely manner, adding that investigations and laboratory tests returned negative results. He emphasised that no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported in the Republic.
Limited information from the north
Pipis said the authorities had not been briefed about any new developments in the north. He said Turkish Cypriots had not provided information beyond what was communicated through a visiting team of experts, including that a second vaccination was carried out in three cattle-breeding units in Lapithos.
EU team visit and outstanding questions
In late December, experts from the EU Commission’s veterinary emergency team arrived on the island to investigate the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock units in the north. Pipis said that aside from what was shared through that visit, no further information had been mentioned.
He said it remained unclear how the incident occurred in only three cattle-breeding units in Lapithos and reiterated that the Republic’s authorities were proceeding with measures to limit the spread of the disease. He said measures provided for by surveillance carried out on units along the Green Line were being implemented.
Vaccine delivery
The European Commission on Friday delivered half a million vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease to the north as part of support measures to contain further spread.
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