Cyprus has recorded no new foot-and-mouth disease cases, but authorities are warning that farmers who obstruct sampling and culling operations face administrative fines — as the total confirmed case count holds at 42.
Soteria Georgiadou, Senior Veterinary Officer and Veterinary Services press spokesperson, said cullings and sampling are continuing without obstruction.
Trenches are being dug at the Dali culling site, while operations continue at Dromolaxia and Oroklini with minor weather-related delays. The culling of cattle in Geri has been completed.
Fines, obstruction, and false result claims
Farmers who refuse to allow sampling on their animals face administrative fines under animal health legislation, Georgiadou said. The Nicosia district office is handling cases of refusal today, following incidents of obstruction to sampling operations yesterday. Georgiadou said the matter would be resolved and sampling would proceed in all areas.
On claims by some farmers of false sampling results, Georgiadou explained that two separate tests are used: a rapid test that detects antibodies, and a PCR test that detects both antibodies and the presence of the virus. “One result may be negative and the other positive, or both positive. So it makes no difference if one comes back negative and one positive — the unit is positive,” she said.
A farmer reportedly spreading manure in Aradippou yesterday is being investigated, with field teams in the area set to make contact.
Tracing, sampling, and vaccination
Tracing operations are covering movements going back to early January — before the first confirmed case in February — to identify any potential earlier spread. Sampling is being conducted within the 3km and 10km exclusion zones and across all districts.
Georgiadou stressed that at the current stage, sampling detects either the virus or antibodies from natural infection only — not antibodies from vaccinated animals, even those vaccinated days earlier.
“The goal now is to find where the virus has been circulating and where it has left antibodies, so that we can try to close off and contain the infection,” she said.
The second vaccination dose is due to begin at the end of March, or possibly next week. Current coverage stands at 85% of cattle island-wide and around 45% of sheep and goats. Pig vaccines are expected to arrive by the end of March or early April. After the second round is complete, further sampling will confirm vaccine efficacy.
Georgiadou also said efforts would be made to protect the native Cypriot red cow, found in the Paphos district, which remains clear of FMD. Other indigenous species — including specific goat and sheep breeds and the agrino — are also a concern.
Burial sites and water monitoring
Burial site selection follows a technical study to avoid contaminating groundwater and rock formations. The sealing process will not cause future problems, Georgiadou said. Boreholes near burial sites are being monitored by the Water Development Department, which has taken samples and ordered a brief suspension of activity to assess the situation.
Occupied north and misinformation
At a bicommunal committee session, authorities in the occupied north were urged to take the same containment measures Cyprus is applying. “They were asked to seriously consider that they too must act as we are acting. Beyond that, we are waiting to see their response,” Georgiadou said.
Cyprus has ordered and supplied vaccines to the occupied north to help reduce the viral load. “That is why we intervened — we ordered vaccines and gave them to them so they could vaccinate and reduce the viral load to protect ourselves,” she said.
Georgiadou urged farmers not to be misled by misinformation. “Everyone hears all sorts of things — they need to listen to the competent authority,” she said. Veterinary Services provincial offices operate around the clock and are open to any farmer with questions.
“We are here to work alongside farmers, to guide them and to help them. We are not here to argue,” she said.
On the police investigation into the FMD outbreak, Georgiadou said she had received no update, adding that police would inform Veterinary Services when the process was complete. On the risk of spread to other towns, she said: “We hope not. You understand that a disease is out there. The measures are in place — when anyone stops applying them, there is a risk.”
(information from CNA)
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