Bicommunal veterinary committee reviews foot-and-mouth disease situation after Greek Cypriot request

Nicosia, Cyprus. Members of the veterinary committee under the bicommunal technical committee on health exchanged updates on the foot-and-mouth disease situation on Tuesday, following a request by the Greek Cypriot side. The committee has met at least four times since the first case was detected in the north and remains in constant communication, co-chair Leonidas Fylaktou said.

New cases reported and outbreak status

Fylaktou said the latest meeting was attended by veterinarians from the Republic of Cyprus’ Veterinary Services in their personal capacity, who briefed members on developments, including two new cases identified at farms in Dhali and Yeri.

He said Turkish Cypriot members reported that the outbreak has been contained within the isolated area of Lapathos. Vaccinations are ongoing with the aim of covering the entire livestock population in the north, while sampling continues in areas beyond the initial outbreak zone.

Proposal to align response and next steps

Fylaktou said the Greek Cypriot side proposed that both sides consider aligning their response by applying EU protocols uniformly. He added that in the north, authorities have not proceeded with culling animals except in very severe cases.

Fylaktou said a similar coordinated approach had been adopted by the technical committee on health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Turkish Cypriot members have requested time to examine the proposal to adjust their strategy and are expected to respond at a later stage.

What steps do you think should be prioritised to coordinate the response across both sides?