Vaccinations of livestock are expected to begin today, Wednesday, carried out by private veterinarians, following the detection of foot-and-mouth disease cases, the spokesperson of the Veterinary Services has said.
Speaking at the “Zenon” Coordination Centre in Larnaca, Senior Veterinary Officer Sotiria Georgiadou said the encouraging development was that no new positive cases had emerged from samples examined so far. She added that halloumi exports had been secured for the time being and reiterated that no additional infections had been confirmed.
A late-night meeting on Tuesday with expert veterinarians dispatched by the European Commission reviewed the epidemiological situation within the 10-kilometre surveillance zone. A decision was taken to begin vaccinating susceptible animals — particularly cattle, sheep and goats — within a three-kilometre radius inside the zone.
Georgiadou said an initial 10,000 vaccine doses are expected to arrive today from the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, with a further 529,000 doses to be supplied by the European Commission in the coming days.
A broader coordination meeting was scheduled at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) with EU experts, private veterinarians and state Veterinary Services to draw up a comprehensive vaccination plan.
“Private veterinarians will be used for vaccinations in the infected area, those already cooperating with the farms and familiar with the region, in order to reduce the risk of further spread,” she noted.
The Agriculture Minister was also scheduled to meet all stakeholders to discuss support measures for affected livestock farmers.
Responding to questions about vaccine availability, Georgiadou explained that vaccines are ordered from manufacturers once the virus is identified and cannot be stockpiled. Outlining the timeline, she said that the farmer notified authorities of suspected infection on the 19th of February, a positive result was confirmed on the 20th, contacts with the European Commission took place on the 21st and 22nd, and on the 23rd of February the Agriculture Minister raised the matter in Brussels to expedite vaccine delivery.
She said the detected serotype is SAT1, the same as that identified in the northern part of Cyprus and samples have been sent to the EU Reference Laboratory for further genetic analysis. Foot-and-mouth disease, she explained, is a family of viruses with multiple serotypes.
So far, 263 cattle have been culled. Disinfection procedures will follow, including the destruction of hay and feed, while culling will continue in affected sheep and goat units. Approximately 13,000 animals are expected to be culled in total, although figures may fluctuate.
Farms will remain closed for at least one to two months after culling, pending cleaning, disinfection and inspection. Animals typically require about two weeks after vaccination to develop antibodies.
Sampling continues in the Famagusta district, Georgiadou said, expressing hope that no further cases will be detected.
