The spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus is taking on dramatic proportions, with the Veterinary Services being put on high alert after the detection of new outbreaks.
According to information from Filenews, with the latest laboratory results, the disease hit nine additional units in the province of Larnaca, confirming fears of further spread of the virus.
The epidemiological picture has worsened in the last few hours with the addition of 8 new cases in the area of Livadia and one new case in Dromolaxia. All new cases concern sheep and goat units.
However, the concern is intensifying as the total number of affected units now stands at 32 (23 initial and 9 new). It is worth noting that the list of infected farms also includes two units with cows, which proves the breadth of the threat to the entire livestock of the country.
The animals in the infected units that must be killed exceed 20,000.
Despite strong reactions from breeders and requests for alternative management methods, the Veterinary Services report that killing all animals in one outbreak is not an option, but a strict legal obligation.
"With the confirmation of an outbreak, the Authority is obliged to order the killing of all animals of the listed species in the unit, based on European Regulation 2020/687, in order to prevent the global spread of the disease," they point out.
Nicosia has already conveyed to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health the climate of despair that prevails in the ranks of producers. In the contacts with the European experts, the small size of Cypriot livestock farming, the geographical isolation of the island and the socio-economic consequences that threaten the extinction of entire families are particularly emphasized.
Despite the pressure exerted by Cyprus for more flexible management due to local specificities, Brussels remains adamant for the time being, with the Veterinary Services continuing efforts to find solutions that will soften the blow to the industry.
